


Of Embers and Sky

by WishIHadSalad



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Lesbian Character, Major Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:07:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 51,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28488045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishIHadSalad/pseuds/WishIHadSalad
Summary: Under the rule of Fire Lord Sozin, the Fire Nation is prospering like never before. With wealth gaps lowering, more jobs available, and expansion into new territories, the people of the Fire Nation couldn't seem to be happier. And when Sozin successfully defeats the heinous Air Bender army, it seems life truly can't get any better.Until when Koza, a completely ordinary Fire Nation girl encounters her nation's greatest enemy: A young Air Bending nun-in-training with an affinity for baked goods. After learning of Sozin's true actions against the Air Nomads, Koza decides to keep the Air Bender a secret and protect her from those that want her dead for no reason other than pride. As time passes, however, the relationship between the two girls escalates to an unimaginable place, and Koza finds herself having to choose between the two things dearest to her: Her honor or the Air Bender.
Comments: 30
Kudos: 19





	1. Ki Lo

Ki Lo was one of the smaller cities among the territory of the Fire Nation, located on the largest island in the archipelago just West of the Capital. Although, it was by far one of the wealthiest. The city was home to many nobilities and sages, the place to return to their families after a long day of creating laws that would dictate the fate of the entire Nation. Indeed, although Ki Lo was not a place where a general wise beyond his years would sit down to make battle plans, it rather housed those not involved in the main political aspects; usually the spouses and children of those who did.

Koza was among that large group that made up the population in Ki Lo. Being the daughter of famed Fire Nobel, Shio Kan, Koza was more than used to living a very cushy life. It was evident in her schedule, which was followed in the exact same order every day. Each morning she was waken up by the family servant- Uvi, ate a breakfast of fresh plums, rice, and komodo sausage with her older brother, and rode on her family's carriage to school. There, she'd spend all day studying the great history of the Fire Nation (which usually included graphic stories of how the Fire Armies crushed some poor excuse for a battle in the Earth Kingdom), practice her Bending techniques with the school's on-site Master, then return home to study, train some more, eat dinner, and go to sleep. It was safe, strict, and repetitive. Just how Koza liked it.

It didn't feel like anything other than an ordinary morning when Koza rose to the sound of Uvi's soft voice in the doorway, just as she always had for sixteen years. Sunlight streamed in from her window, much brighter due to the time of year.

"Miss Koza, it's time to get ready." She said before her footsteps disappeared down the hall. One simple alarm was all she needed to get moving. Koza rose from her bed and instantaneously changed into her school uniform, which was black, red, and armor-like. Koza had heard once that the uniform was inspired by the one worn at the school on Capital Island. Trying to install conformity no matter where you went, she supposed. Once she had gotten into her clothing, Koza began to brush her fingers through her long black hair which, while down, was silky and soft. Using the gentlest care, Koza took hold of the jet strands and formed it all into a tight bun. The skin around her forehead painfully pulled back a bit at the force of her hairstyle. She grabbed a golden hairpin that laid waiting on her shelf and used it to keep the bun in place, looking satisfied with her appearance. Now she looked just like everyone else in Ki Lo.

Koza left her room- located on the second floor of her family's house- and descended down the staircase into the general area that was used to eat meals as a family. Although with Shio Kan usually on important trips to the Fire Nation Capital and Koza's mother, Fulay, having "important errands" to take care of late into the night, the long table that could fit an entire army was usually only accompanied by Koza and her brother. Speaking of, Ojin was already seated at the table halfway through his meal. He was now staring with bored eyes down at his plate. Koza slid into the empty seat across from him, a plate of an identical meal placed before her curtesy of Uvi. The two siblings ate in silence, Ojin's face fixated on the table while Koza gave him quick occasional glances. This was exactly how it always was, day after day; no talking at the table had been the rule in place ever since they were young. Their father, it seemed, enjoyed the silence that came with a homecooked meal. As the girl slowly chewed on a bitter plum and took a final look at her brother- the sibling that she was lucky to say even a word to over the course of a day- something came over her. She wasn't sure what it was, or where it even came from. But before Koza had time to stop herself,

"How are your Bending techniques going?" Koza's lips formed around the words, although she almost couldn't believe she was saying them. Ojin's head shot up to stare at her in bewilderment, clearly not believing what was happening either.

"What?" He asked, his nose shriveling up in disgust. Koza knew it would've been wise to simply back down here, say she had made a mistake and go back to the blissful silence. For some reason, though, she didn't.

"I said how are your Bending techniques going? Since you've been going to extra classes, I was just... wondering..." Her voice began to fail under Ojin's hard stare. She swallowed the lump in her throat, neither sibling daring to take their eyes off of the other. The impromptu staring match was cut rather quickly by Ojin focusing back on his plate, deciding that the last bits of greasy rice were much more interesting than the human girl sitting in front of him.

"Don't try to talk to me. I don't care about whatever you have to say." He spoke, his voiced laced with icy callousness. Koza quickly went back to her breakfast, trying to ignore the new heavy feeling in her chest. She almost would've preferred it had Ojin gotten angry or insulted her; showing negative emotions at least showed that he cared even a little. That even, aloof tone had the same meaning no matter where in the world you went: You mean less than nothing to me. They were siblings, only two years apart, and yet they were total strangers. Koza finished the rest of her meal in a hurry, putting on an emotionless expression to prevent from seeming weak in front of the boy. This was how her family was, she had known this for years. There's no point in getting upset over it, she told herself. You'll only get dragged down by someone who means nothing to you. Move on.

Koza had managed to bury the morning disaster by the time her and Ojin waited in the front garden for the carriage. Koza avoided looking at him by keeping her eyes on the beaver-koi pond and the bright red Sparkpetals that grew around it. She always thought those flowers were so pretty, though she'd never dare to say it out loud. The carriage finally pulled around the front gates, pulled by two black-and-brown ostrich-horses that pawed at the ground seemingly anxious to get moving. Ojin climbed into the dark wood interior first and Koza clambered up after him. It was a long and bumpy ride filled with, yet again, more silence. Koza decided to abide the time by staring out the glossy window of the carriage and watching the grand manor houses pass by as they rode on. She would occasionally see a worker out in the gardens, tending to the flora to make everything look spick and span. Koza knew her family had a gardener, although she couldn't remember ever seeing them before. She thought about asking Ojin, but remembered they weren't supposed to talk to each other.

They arrived at the Ki Lo Fire Academy after a twenty minute ride. The Fire Academy, her mother always gripped about, was located in the heart of the city instead of closer to the wealthy suburbs that Koza's family lived in. The Academy was one of the biggest buildings in all of Ki Lo, an ebony palace of curved arches and multi-layers of flooring. The schoolyard was filled to the brim with identically-dressed students, all mingling together before school officially began. As Koza climbed out of the carriage, however, the usually loud and bustling yard seemed to be a much different place today. Students were all huddled together in small groups, whispering among themselves secrets that were too precious for outside ears to hear. Walking into the odd scene, Koza only had a moment to question what was before her when a hushed voice called her name.

"Koza! Koza, come here!" It was Min, a young boy who she was fairly acquaintanced with. One could even say that they were friends, perhaps. Min was apart of a group of five other students who were all too busy in their discussion to pay attention to Koza. She walked over to them and joined in their huddle.

"What's going on? Why is everyone acting weird?" Koza whispered. 

"Didn't you hear this morning's good news? It's all anyone's talking about." Another boy who Koza didn't know the name said, looking around nervously as if he expected somebody to snatch him up for discussing something so incredulous.

"No, I didn't hear anything. My mom was out all night again. What's going on?" Koza asked. The other students gazed at one another, silently wondering who should be given the privilege of sharing. 

"Do you remember how our naval units were reporting tension between them and the Eastern Air Benders?" Min was the one to step up before anyone had the chance. Koza nodded briskly; she had heard that tidbit a week ago, and it had been of very little interest to her. The Air Benders were all soft, flower-loving monks. So they were getting a little antsy about Fire Naval ships going near their territory, what was the big deal?

"Well, last night," Min continued, his voice lowering to such a soft whisper Koza had to lean in to hear him. "A Fire Nation cargo ship headed towards the North Pole was completely obliterated. The ship was completely destroyed, all the goods lost, and not a single person on board survived."

"And guess which landmark the ship was passing?" A female student said eagerly. "Right by the Northern Air Temple." Koza's eyes widened.

"So you're saying the Air Benders destroyed a whole ship of innocents?" She was completely astounded. Weren't the Air Benders against battle? Perhaps they'd decided to change their ways.

"Exactly. Nobody can really agree on why," Min continued. "Most think it's because the Monks were getting sick of seeing the Fire Nation succeed." 

"They've been old news for centuries. They saw us getting big and powerful, and since they knew they'd never get to do the same, decided it was their place to stop us." The boy from earlier said, shaking his head with disapproval. 

"So what happens now? What's the punishment going to be?" Koza asked, hungry for information. The students all shared another look, failing to hide their glee.

"Complete militia obliteration." Min said with a wide grin. 

"The decree was sent out this morning," another girl whispered, her whole body quivering in excitement. "In repentance for the murder of over 50 innocents, Fire Lord Sozin is sending hundreds of fleets to attack the Air Bender armies head on. They're going to dismantle every bit of military they have."

"They don't stand a chance. The Fire Nation has been winning wars since the dawn of time. Those monks aren't gonna know what hit 'em." Min said proudly. Koza felt quite excited at the prospect of the Fire Nation putting the Air Benders in their place. An army that did wrong deserved justice, after all. However, the hope began to drain from her eyes as she found herself remembering a crucial detail that nobody had yet to bring up.

"Wait a minute. Isn't the Avatar currently an Air Bender? That means the Fire Army is going to have to fight them too, right? I'd be shocked if the Avatar wasn't apart of the Air Bender military." Koza asked. The others stared at her blankly, worried looks spreading. Clearly nobody had remembered _that_ bit of information. Pale fear formed on Min's face when Koza remembered that his father was one of the captains of the Fire Nation Army. Between an Army Captain and the Avatar, it was all too easy who would win that fight. And Min knew it. 

"How long ago did Avatar Roku die? It was twelve years, right?" One of the boys who had remained silent up until this point spoke. "So that means the current Avatar is only twelve years old." This information eased the tension that Koza had created. She saw Min's face relax at the revelation his father didn't have to fight essentially a God.

"Yeah, that's right. There's no way anyone could master an element in just twelve years, let alone four. Not even the Avatar could pull that off. Even with the Avatar on their side, those filthy cloud-chasers don't stand a chance." Min said, relief dwindling in his voice. The others murmured in agreement.

"You said the siege started this morning?" Koza asked.

"Yeah. The Army troops attacked all four Temples at once to prevent anyone from sending warning messages. We should be getting updates by tomorrow." One of the girls replied. The students didn't have any more chances to dwell on the topic as the teachers began to call them inside for class. Koza and the others obediently followed in, filling into their desks for a lesson on how the Fire Nation defeated the great "Blue Flame" uprising. For the first time in all her years of being in school, Koza found it difficult to concentrate on the topic. While her teacher rambled on about espionage, civil war, and deception, her mind was on the distant Air Temples, imagining a group of armed Air Benders outflanked by the bigger and stronger Fire Army. It was so exciting to her to live through such a revolutionary event. Total destruction of an entire Nation's military, today could very well be written down in next year's textbooks!

By the time Koza's studies had finished and she was on her way home, the fantasies of justice and war had faded out of her subconscious. Her thoughts were now replaced with three new Fire Bending techniques Sifu had went over today. Although her Bending classes were by far the best part of the day, Koza was starting to get a little overwhelmed with just how many stances and forms she needed to memorize for the most basic of Bending. What even was the difference between lion-stance and mountain lion-stance anyway? Nevertheless, her and Ojin returned home on time and were greeted by Fulay, who despite her glimmering and very expensive-looking robes, looked like a tired mess. Koza supposed she had only just recently returned home from her "errands."

"Hello, my sweets. How was school?" She greeted in that fake lovey-dovey voice she always used when the neighbors were out and watching.

"Fine." Ojin and Koza replied at the same time, pushing past her to enter their house. Dinner was the same as breakfast had been, with the three of them eating in silence, the only sounds being from the clanking of dishes as Uvi worked in the kitchen. Koza finished her plate and was about to head back upstairs to look over her textbooks when, to her utter shock, her mother cleared her throat. 

"Koza, could you do your dear mother a quick favor, please?" Fulay asked. She was still using that fake voice that made it seem like she was the most genuine woman on the planet... It made Koza feel like vomiting. She wondered what her mother was trying to gain in keeping up the façade. 

"Of course, what do you need?" Koza replied as respectfully as she could muster through gritted teeth. Fulay beamed.

"I have such a craving for lychee nut tea right now, and Uvi just informed me we're out of any fresh ones. Would you mind going out to the bush and gathering some for me?" She asked. This was a very odd request. Fulay hardly ever gave Koza the time of day, looking past her own child as if she weren't even there, and now she was requesting her to gather fruits? Though the request seemed innocent enough, it made Koza highly suspicious. Not to mention, this was normally a task she'd ask of Uvi, not her own daughter. What was she up to...?

"Of course, mother." Koza replied, eyeing her mother with caution as she slipped around her and into the kitchen. It was smaller compared to the dining room, even more so with Uvi washing a mountain of dishes, humming a tune that used to sing when Koza was much younger. She looked up at the sound of footsteps and smiled brightly at the young girl. Koza always wondered how managed to be so positive all day long.

"Do you need something, Miss?" She asked, her genuine kindness a stark contrast to Fulay's.

"No, Uvi, thank you. I'm just going out to the garden for a moment." Replied Koza, heading out the open back door and into the dark. The back garden was very similar to the front garden in the sense that there was a random assortment of flowers and plants that didn't match, only there was no gate; only silver fences separating them from the neighbors. Fulay had insisted on planting several fruit plants in the back garden "for easy access," even though most of the plants were littered with decaying old fruit that had been failed to be picked. The lychee nut bush grew near the very back of the garden, right near where the domesticated flora met the wild trees that made up the dense forests. Koza trudged across the darkened grass, finding it difficult to navigate the maze of plants in every which way with only the moon as a guide. She held out her hand and a small orange flame appeared in her palm, dancing on her skin without burning or harming her. Using the tiny fire as a light source, she approached the bush and began to gather the bulbous red fruits that grew on the thick brambles.

A rustling in the forest suddenly distracted her from her task. Koza looked up and held her hand out, expecting to see some sort of animal. Nothing. Koza waited for a moment and returned to the bush, only to hear the same rustling once more. Most of the native wild animals had long gone since the area was built upon, but there were still reports of the occasional hog-monkey coming by to cause trouble. Feeling it better to scare off any potential animal that had wandered too close to society, Koza dropped her gathered fruits and stepped into the wild towards the sound of movement.

Koza let the flame in her palm grow until it was twice the size, illuminating the dark and twisting woods. Koza had expected to see a bird or some kind of small rodent running off into the distance, fearful of humans. What she didn't expect to see was a girl, no older than she was, standing among the trees- a girl who was filthy, wearing torn orange robes, and shaking from head to toe.


	2. Battle of Wills

Koza stared with wide, utterly dumbfounded eyes. What was a person doing slinking around in the woods, at this hour nonetheless? From the girl's aberrant state, Koza would've assumed she was homeless; maybe one of those "wild people" her mother always spoke ill about: Wild nomads who traveled throughout the world, usually in groups. Surviving solely off the generosity of strangers, avoiding work and generally being burdens on society. Whether or not this girl was one of those, Koza wasn't sure. What she _was_ sure of, though, was that this girl was absolutely terrified. 

Now that both parties could see each other through flickering flamelight, Koza could just make out two ash-gray eyes that had dilated from fear. It was the same look a wounded animal would give to a hunter, begging for mercy. A thousand questions surged through Koza's brain all at once. Where did this girl come from? What was she doing in the woods? What had her so afraid?  
The multitude of answers that she wanted to receive in that moment made her hesitate on what to say, leaving the strange girl trembling in silence. There were no words spoken, the crackling of the fire emitting the only noise. Koza thought about going to get help from some Fire Nation soldiers; they'd know what to do in this situation better than her. Koza was about to ask the girl if she needed help when her mouth suddenly made a decision without her. 

"Who are you?" The question came out a bit harsher than she had intended. The other girl seemed a little taken aback like she hadn't expected Koza to be capable of speech. As if a switch suddenly turned on inside her brain, the girl's eyes welled up and her lips quivered. She began to hyperventilate, her breathing sharp and ragged. She glanced over her shaking shoulders, looking for an invisible enemy. 

"I-I have to get away... They're coming after me... I can't let them... They killed everyone, _everyone_. Noll... Oh Spirits, Noll... Why would they do that?" The girl began to sob, tears and snot streaming down her face. Koza scrunched her face in repulsion but stood her ground. The girl was completely hysterical, too much so. Koza wasn't going to get any explanations while the girl was in this state.

"Hey, it's okay," Koza put out her other hand that didn't hold the fire, trying to calm the hysterics. "There's no one around, you're safe. I won't hurt you." Koza mused gently. The strange girl sniffled, her shaking body slowly relaxing. She wiped her dripping face onto her filthy sleeve, letting out another sob into the fabric. Koza's hardened expression softened at the despairing sight.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." The girl repeated, falling to her knees onto the wet grass. Koza followed her lead and sat gently on the cold dirt, not moving her eyes off of the girl. She listened to the girl's anguished sobs, so filled with agony. Whatever this girl had gone through, it was something _bad_. Koza didn't dare allow her brain to imagine what horrors this girl had seen. 

"You're okay. I promise, you're okay." Koza tried her best to comfort, although she wasn't particularly skilled in that field. The girl took her face out of her sleeve, looking at Koza with almost confusion. Clearly words of assurance weren't of much help here... Koza decided to try a different approach. She held out the fire towards the girl, allowing it to grow much larger on her skin; warm reds and oranges and yellows swirled around her fingertips as if it were alive. The girl watched the fire's dance with awe, temporarily forgetting her woe at the beautiful sight. It was something her father had done to calm her down eons ago.

Now armed with more light, Koza could make out the girl's entire appearance. Medium-length brown hair hung over her shoulders, matted and knotted. Dark freckles covered her cheeks and nose, her soft face darkened with wild panic. Her orange robes, along with a yellow sash, covered nearly her entire body, hiding it from view. The clothing was covered in dirt and even appeared to be singed in certain areas. The flame in Koza's hand was reflected in those innocent stormy eyes; Koza had never seen eyes quite like those before. Even with the filth, the girl was stunningly pretty. Realizing she was getting distracted, Koza sheepishly let the fire shrink back down to its normal size. The girl's attention returned back to Koza.

"I need you to tell me what's going on, please. I want to help you, but I can't without information." Koza chose her words carefully. The girl seemed to regain her senses and held her hands together so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

"My name is Huvanni." her wet voice quivered at her own name.

"It's nice to meet you, Huvanni. I'm Koza." She answered back. Was it wise to give this stranger the power of knowing her name? The girl didn't seem malicious, but around here you could never be too sure. After all, this very well could be a ploy to rob someone blind. The thought made Koza tense up.

"Koza. I have to ask you, please, don't tell anyone I'm here," Huvanni said gravely. "Especially not anyone from the Fire Army."

"What? Why?"

"Because they'll kill me on sight if they find out I survived." She swallowed back another crying fit, trying to stay strong in front of the Fire Bender. Koza's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Survived? Survived what?" She asked. 

"The siege of the Air Temples," Huvanni began. "They tried to make sure no one escaped, but-"

"Air Temples?" Koza's voice inadvertently rose at the revelation. "You're an Air Bender!" She felt like slapping herself for not figuring it out on her own. The orange robes, the dark hair, the gray eyes... How could Koza be so blind as to not recognize her own Nation's enemy right before her eyes? 

Koza shot up onto her feet, quickly getting into an offensive Bending stance. The fire in her palm now spread to her entire fist, creating a dangerous weapon ready for the attack. Huvanni watched her movement with little effort. She seemed less than enthused. 

"Air Benders are the enemies of the Fire Nation. If you surrender now, maybe your imprisonment won't be too long." Koza said dangerously. Huvanni also got to her feet, much slower than Koza had. She didn't seem to be afraid or threatened at all by Koza; she just looked tired.

"I have committed no crime. I have done nothing wrong in the eyes of the Spirits and the law. You have no right to accuse me of being your enemy." She said in a calm voice. Koza didn't waver.

"You know exactly what you did. You're despicable." 

"Please do me the honor, then. What have we done to earn your fury?"

"A Fire Nation ship carrying cargo to the North Pole was destroyed right under the Northern Air Temple," Koza struggled to keep a furious expression at Huvanni's unperturbed words. "Your people killed over fifty innocents for no reason. For that, Fire Lord Sozin ordered that the Air Bending army is to be purged and demolished for your crimes. An eye for an eye, they say. And I don't care if you're military or not. You're an enemy just the same." Koza snarled. Huvanni listened to the other girl ramble for a moment before she did something completely unexpected: She began to laugh.

It wasn't the kind of laugh someone made when they heard a funny joke or watched an animal steal a piece of meat from a vendor. It was a broken, cold laugh that someone made when things got so bad, it was the only thing you could do to stop from crumbling. Koza listened to the emptiness of Huvanni's laughter, growing angrier by the second. 

"What's so funny, _Air Bender_?" She spat the words like it was poison in her mouth. Huvanni ceased her drawl, looking at Koza with something that only added fuel to her inner turmoil: Pity.

"Is that really what they told you? Dismantling the-the 'Air Bender Army' because we destroyed a cargo ship?" She folded her arms, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's really the best they can come up with, that's just sad."

"What are you talking about?!"

"I'm sorry, Koza, but your 'Fire Lord' is feeding you lies. Propaganda to make the Fire Nation feel good about what they're _really_ doing." said Huvanni. "The Air Benders never destroyed a cargo ship. Air Benders don't destroy, that's our most basic rule! We don't even have an army! Air Benders don't have any formal military, and we haven't for centuries!"

"If you didn't attack that ship and you don't have an army, then why would Fire Lord Sozin order his troops to attack the Air Temples? He wouldn't do that without a valid reason." Koza said, the fire on her fist flickering out momentarily. 

"He has a reason, alright. He wants us all gone. Or, more specifically, he wants the _Avatar_ gone." Huvanni's shoulders fell.

"The Avatar? Why does he want the Avatar gone?" 

"That's the question I keep asking myself." Huvanni replied.

"So what, you're saying that this whole story is just a-a cover up? That Fire Lord Sozin just decided to attack the Air Temples so he could kill of the Avatar for some reason?!" demanded Koza.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Koza couldn't hold back her rage any longer. She launched forwards and punched her fist into the air, sending off a crackling fireball straight towards Huvanni.

"Don't you dare insult Fire Lord Sozin!" She shouted, but Huvanni was no longer there. In the blink of an eye, the girl had vanished. How did she...?  
Koza didn't have time to ponder as the fireball struck a sturdy spruce tree just straight ahead, the dusty bark lighting up in a great blaze. Koza completely froze with horror as she watched the fire make contact with the wood. In a matter of seconds the entire forest would be alight, burning anything and everything. Then it would only be a matter of time before the fire began to spread to houses. What had she done? She needed to warn everyone, and fast!

Just before she could turn around, a gust of wind suddenly blew towards the tree. It was so powerful that Koza nearly toppled over by the invisible force, digging her heels into the dirt to keep upright while her hair threatened to come out of her bun. The wind battled against the roaring flames, a war that only lasted seconds until the wind overtook and overpowered the fire, pushing it down into oblivion. The only evidence that there had even been a fire was the scorched leaves and the dying embers that flickered on the tree's roots.

"You really need to work on your aim." A voice came from above Koza. Huvanni was standing atop a sturdy branch in a nearby tree, looking down at the other girl. "Fire Bending while being surrounded by _flammable trees?_ Surely you should've realized that was a bad idea." She was right, of course, but Koza didn't admit it. 

"Why don't you come down and face me, you coward?" Koza taunted. Without her fire, she no longer could see the Air Bender's face; only her silhouette illuminated in the moonlight among the branches. 

"I'll pass, thank you. We're taught from a young age that senseless violence will only drag us down and away from inner peace. Keeping a pacifist's vow is the only way to keep afloat." Huvanni spoke, stepping off of the branch. Rather than plummeting to the ground, she floated down gently like her body was as light as a feather. She dropped gracefully in front of Koza, her expression unreadable.

"Don't preach to me, I don't need to hear about how 'enlightening' it is being a nun." Koza grumbled, her fingers itching to grab the girl's robe and burn it into ash.

"I'm simply making a point, Koza." Huvanni said, straightening up. Koza was disgruntled to see that Huvanni was about two inches taller than she was. "Air Benders aren't people prone to fighting. We make the effort to solve problems peacefully and without violence. We wouldn't dare to take a life, let alone fifty. The only time we would even consider causing harm upon another human being is if there was no other choice." She said. Koza's barrier began to crumble under Huvanni's words. Out of all of the four Nations, Koza knew the least about the Air Benders. However, the few things she did know about Air culture were the very same things Huvanni was talking about. The Air Nomads were often praised and admired for their sheer dedication to spirituality and peace. Huvanni wasn't lying, nor did she have any reason to. And Koza recongized this.

"...If it wasn't to serve justice, then... It had to do with the Avatar, you said? ...Huvanni, what happened? What did the Fire Nation do?" Koza asked with desperation, the burning passion in her voice completely gone. It was Koza's turn to be scared now. Her knees were buckling under her own weight, fearful of what she about to hear. Huvanni looked at Koza again with that awful pitiful expression.

"You should probably sit down for this. There's a lot you don't know about the Fire Nation."


	3. Epiphany

Koza knelt on the ground, every ounce of her focus now on Huvanni. The Air Bender stood tall, rays of moonlight reflecting against her hair. She almost looked like a Spirit, Koza thought.

"The Nuns had no way of knowing it was coming," Huvanni began steadily. "None of us had any reason to suspect anything from them. When that Naval ship came near the Eastern Air Temple, everyone thought they had simply fallen off course. We were naïve, and we were wrong."

"They were spying on the Air Benders and making a battle plan." Koza's voice felt hollow. Huvanni nodded grimly.

"Nobody even considered it a possibility. The Air Temples are all located within the tops of mountains, only accessible by flying bison. It should've been impossible for anyone other than an Air Bender to reach us, so there was no reason to fear an attack. But we had underestimated the Fire Nation," she continued. "The Fire troops arrived just at sunrise. I don't know how they found us. It should've been impossible."

"What did they do when they got there?" Koza asked, though she already knew the answer. 

"They massacred everyone." Huvanni's breath staggered, struggling to find the words. "No warning, no reason. I woke up at the crack of dawn to my friends and family screaming for help as they were burned alive. No one, not a single person was spared. Women and children alike were all slaughtered in cold blood. I watched... I watched soldier enter a nursery full of scared, crying babies. Innocent and defenseless. The nursery was completely silent when he left." Koza wanted to cover her ears and block out each horrible word. Her stomach twisted itself knots, the story making her feel physically sick. The Fire Nation would never murder people so senselessly, they just wouldn't... It was too horrible to even believe.

"Obviously, there was mostly confused panic. The Nuns had no idea what was happening or why they were being attacked in the first place," Huvanni said, not seeming to notice Koza's discomfort. "Peaceful solutions clearly were of no use. So, the Master Air Benders were forced to break our most sacred rule. They went against everything they stood for in a unrequited attempt to stop the invaders. They began to take lives of their own free will.   
"See, there's a good reason the Air Benders choose never to partake in violence or fighting; because if we did, the blood would never wash off our hands. Water, Earth, and Fire alike all have special circumstances that would leave a person unable to Bend. A Fire Bender under a Solar Eclipse, a Water Bender in a desert, or an Earth Bender in the Arctic. But Air is everywhere. On land, under the sea, or inside a human body. It's _everywhere_." The sudden ominent turn made Koza shudder. "If we had time to prepare or come up with a plan of defense, I have no doubt that we would've won the fight. But the Fire Nation chose the coward's method of attack. We were unprepared, unready, and terrified. Compared to their numbers alone, we had no chance." 

Huvanni took a few moments of silence, willing herself to continue. Koza was nearly holding her breath as she hung onto each and every word. Huvanni inhaled deeply, no doubt to ease her racing heart, and kept going.

"Nun Ayoni, my master and closest friend, managed to take out about a dozen soldiers by manipulating the air out of their lungs, killing them almost instantly. It's a deadly technique only to be used in the most dire of circumstances. She was one of the most powerful Benders in the Western Temple, and yet when a single soldier snuck up behind her... She was gone just like that. In the blink of an eye, the woman who was my closest family was dead, just another body to add to the count. ...You said Sozin claimed the attack was to 'dismantle the military?' Yeah, right. This wasn't about arms or keeping equal peace, this was about ensuring every single person in that Temple was dead before the day ended. Watch, I bet tomorrow the news will say something like 'the Air Benders became crazed and extremely violent, and the soldiers were forced to exterminate everyone to save their own lives.'" It was hard to ignore the bitter rage in Huvanni's voice. It was similar to the kind that Koza felt whenever she didn't perform her Bending styles perfectly. She felt quite a bit of guilt for being upset over something that seemed so unimportant.

"If the soldiers weren't sparing anyone, then how did you manage to escape?" Koza asked.

"Luck," Huvanni replied nonchalantly. "No, wait. That's not right. It was luck and sacrifice. ...When the attacks began, Vala- one of the older girls I shared a room with- told us we needed to hide as quickly as possible. A group of ten, eleven teenaged girls wasn't going to be able to take on an entire army fleet. If we just hid somewhere, prayed to the Spirits for mercy, we might have a chance to survive. I... Didn't listen to her, for whatever reason. Panic, perhaps. But all I remember was just running out of where our rooms were and straight into the fray. People were screaming, statues were being destroyed for no other purpose than sick enjoyment. They even set fire to our statue of Avatar Yangchen, the barbarians... And the bodies. The smoldering, ashen bodies that scattered all over what was once holy land. The people who had raised me, who I owe everything to, their faces were burnt beyond recognition. That smell of burning flesh is one I will never forget." Koza swallowed a hard lump in her throat. "It was northing short of a miracle that I made it all the way to the stables without being killed."

"Stables? Did you keep komodo-rhinos or something?" Koza asked. Huvanni managed the tiniest of smiles.

"How would we ever keep those in a sacred temple up a mountain? No, the Nuns kept two kinds of animals at the Temple: Winged lemurs and flying bison. When an Air Bending child reaches nine years of age, they are given a flying bison to tame. Children can learn so much from the original Air Benders. We form connections with them, and they become our close companion for the rest of our lives." Her voice sounded odd. "My bison was named Noll. He was the sweetest cuddle-bug. He always wanted to just sit on your lap and snuggle, which wasn't the best trait to have considering he weighed over ten tons." Huvanni giggled weakly. "When we first bonded, he got so attached that he'd cry every time I put him in the stables at night. I can't remember how many times I slept there just so he wouldn't feel so lonely."

"He sounds wonderful." Koza said. The small smile that had appeared on Huvanni's face had now vanished.

"Yeah, he was," She coughed slightly. "When... When I reached the stables, I wasn't too sure of what I was doing. I mean, Noll had much more endurance and strength than I did, but he was also a much bigger target. That was the choice, take him with me and stick together, or increase both our chances of survival and leave him behind. I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't even have the chance to make a choice, because a Fire soldier entered the stables and Noll... heh, Noll swung his tail around and knocked the guy out cold. He _protected_ me, he- I think he knew something was wrong. I don't know, I just felt like he knew we were in trouble. And I knew there was no way I'd leave him behind for even a second. I saddled him up and we took off as fast as we could. I... ran away. My home was in danger and I ran away."

"There was nothing you could've done. Trained Fire soldiers against one person, there was no way you could've taken them on." Koza said earnestly. 

"Maybe." Huvanni mumbled. "Everything was clear for about ten seconds. I actually thought for a moment that Noll and I had gotten away, we had made it out alive! But... the thing about sky bison is while they're strong fliers, they can only go so fast. When a hundred soldiers started launching fire at us, there was just no way for him to get out of the way in time. He tried. He tried so, _so_ hard to get us to safety. He did the best he could, my sweet boy. But he was no match against the Fire Nation. One last blast to his spine and he plummeted down the mountain side while I was still at the reigns. I didn't think to bring a glider or anything, and we were falling fast. The ground was getting closer, I had to do something. I would've died if I didn't...!" Huvanni went quiet for a moment to stop her voice from rising. "I abandoned him. I jumped from the reigns and just barely managed to cling to a tree while Noll collided with the dirt, limp. My best friend, my close companion laid dead among the rocks because I was too helpless to prevent it from happening."

"It wasn't your fault." urged Koza. Huvanni wasn't listening.

"I didn't want to leave him. I couldn't bare seeing him so motionless, so lifeless. He didn't deserve that, none of them did!" Huvanni roared directly in Koza's face. She didn't bat an eye. Huvanni took heavy breaths, sniffling back tears. "I should've done more. I should've done something to save him instead of just letting him take their attack. I should've protected him. At the very least, the Spirits decided to punish me for my insolence." Huvanni said, and lifted up the bottom of her robe.

On the side of her right calf was the worst burn wound Koza had ever seen before, and that was saying a lot. It spread from her ankle bone nearly all the way up to her thigh, swollen and red. Considering how deeply damaged Huvanni's skin was, Koza was more than sure that one of the soldier's fire had made direct contact. How Huvanni managed to stand on that leg without toppling over in agony was beyond Koza's comprehension. 

"After I lost Noll, I wasn't sure what to do. Where I could go," Huvanni continued, dropping her robe back down so her wound was covered again. "I thought about making my way towards the Northern Air Temple. It would take some time to reach it on foot, but it was the closest place that I knew would be safe. I waited until night fell to make my way across the Fire Nation. I couldn't trust that I wouldn't be attacked again." She said, giving Koza a look.

"I... I'm sorry." Huvanni looked just as surprised as Koza felt from the words. Fire Benders weren't people to ever apologize, it just wasn't something they did. Feuds or arguments in the Fire Nation were usually resolved through battle or Agni Kai, where whichever person was weak enough to lose was deemed to be in the wrong. Nevertheless, Koza just couldn't bare to sit there without expressing some kind of pitiful remorse. Of what her people had done, the absolute horror and damage that they had caused. Not to mention Koza trying to attack Huvanni just minutes before. Koza had believed the Fire Nation was the best place to live, a place of prosperity and greatness. Now, knowing Sozin had lied, she wasn't sure what to believe. 

"It's so... I-I wouldn't have... I didn't know." Koza could barely settle on her words. 

"I didn't think you did," replied Huvanni gently. "Most don't. The Fire Nation is a powerful force, and there's no doubt that they'll find some way to cover this up to the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom. How they'll find some way to excuse this to the other Air Temples, though, I'm more than curious to see." Koza felt her heart sink down into her stomach. "Koza?"

"Huvanni... The Fire Nation attacks... they weren't just on the Western Air Temple."

"...What?" Koza watched every last bit of hope drain from Huvanni's eyes.

"They... they said they were going to attack the other four temples. Dismantle the _entirety_ of the Air army." Koza said fretfully. Huvanni stared down at her feet, the severity of the words sinking in.

"Sozin wants to eliminate all of the Air Benders. Destroy an entire culture of people, for what purpose? Power? Is this how he wants to be remembered in the books, as the man who destroyed world balance as we know it?" She spoke so softly Koza almost thought it was supposed to be an internal thought. Huvanni chuckled darkly. "Spirits above, it all makes sense now. With all those soldiers yelling about how they needed to keep an eye out for the Avatar, I wondered how they could've gotten the information so wrong. I don't know much about the current Avatar, only that he lives in the Southern Air Temple, not the Western. I had thought they only wanted the Avatar and figured they'd kill everyone else there for good measure." 

"It wasn't just about the Avatar. It was about wiping out every last Air Bender alongside him. To get them all out of the way for whatever purpose." Koza finished the thought, the realization setting in for both of them at the same time. Huvanni and Koza shared a look, having the exact same thought in that second: How could anyone be so monstrous?

"Am I the last Air Bender?" Huvanni suddenly asked. "Someone else surely survived, right? I can't be only one left, I just can't." She looked to Koza for answers, though she had none. Huvanni slumped against the bark of a tree, the heavy realization of her place in the world now setting in. Huvanni escaped solely through chance; the probability of anyone else escaping in a similar way was just too low. Koza could barely contain her disgust any longer. 

"To think I spent my entire life listening to story after story about the greatness of the Fire Nation. Everyday spent pledging an allegiance to what I thought was a glorious Nation, the _best_ Nation. And it was all a lie. A lie built on a thousand graves of those we thought we had the right to kill." Koza shakenly uttered. 

"I wouldn't say it's a total lie," Huvanni responded. "It's not a false statement to say that the Fire Nation is great and powerful. Fire Benders are a strong and honorable people, ones of great strength and endurance. I have met only a few Fire Benders in my time, but all of them were of great mind and power. The bloody truths hidden below the surface are not the fault of the common people, they are the fault of the government that fed them those lies." Huvanni said wisely. Koza wiped the corner of her eye on her arm.

"How pathetic. You're the one who experienced terror and loss like nothing I've ever seen, and yet here you are comforting me." Koza couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of it all. Huvanni held out her hand and helped Koza up onto her feet.

"My life has changed permanently, yes, but yours has too. I can't imagine it to be easy learning that the people you've come to trust and respect built their towers out of bones." 

"You're very wise." noted Koza. 

"When you've spent sixteen years living among nuns, you tend to pick up on a few things." The two girls analyzed each other closely, one taking note of the other. Had anyone else seen them standing together, they would've insisted that the girls treat each other as an enemy; Koza for being apart of the Nation that destroyed the Air Benders, and Huvanni for being decreed as Public Enemy Number One in the eyes of the Fire Lord. And yet, there was no resentment in either of them. There was hatred and anger, yes, but not for each other. In that one moment, they recognized they had the same enemy.

They were two sides of the same coin.

Koza was the first one to break the silent understanding, taking her hand back from Huvanni's.

"Where will you go? The Fire Nation is a deathtrap, but if all the Air Temples were invaded... What will you do?"

"I honestly don't know. I was completely counting on the small possibility that the other Air Temples were safe from the Fire Nation's wrath. But now... Now I don't know," Huvanni folded her arms, thinking to herself. "Maybe I could make my way to Ba Sing Se. I'd be safe from Fire Nation wrath under Earth Law, and even if they did figure out I was there, that place is so big it'd take them a hundred years before they tracked me down." She said, her eyes sparking a bit at the idea. Koza, however, seemed unconvinced.

"Ba Sing Se? Huvanni, it'd probably take over a year to get there from here! You'd have to travel through the entire Fire Nation and go across the sea just to get to the edge Earth Kingdom, not to mention you're badly hurt!" She said, pointing at her leg. "And if you go walking around the Fire Nation in Air Bender clothing, you'll get captured before you can even get out of Ki Lo." Perhaps it was due to the adrenaline that came with learning the truth about Fire Lord Sozin or how much trouble Huvanni had went through in one day alone, but Koza was surprising herself with how determined she was to keep this girl safe. Huvanni, on the other hand, didn't seem to take much note of it.

"Alright then, Ms. Fire Bender. What do you suggest I do?" Huvanni asked. Koza blinked. 

"Huh?"

"I've been isolated up a peaceful mountain my entire life. You clearly know more about the world than I do, especially the Fire Nation. So, what should I do? How do I keep myself alive?" Huvanni asked. She didn't seem to be asking the question out of irritation, although Koza could pick up a hint of playful wittiness in her words. Honestly, Koza wasn't sure what Huvanni should do; it seemed like a no-win situation. To their knowledge, she no longer had any family and friends to go to. Walking around in the state that she was in would only guarantee her capture. After all, it wasn't like anyone wore orange-and-yellow robes in the Fire Nation.  
Then, an idea came into Koza's head. It was a stupid, terrible, and awful idea that would get both of them in serious amounts of trouble if things went wrong. However, it was the only one Koza had.

"Stay in Ki Lo." Koza announced. Whatever Huvanni had expected Koza to say, it certainly wasn't that.

"What?" She scoffed somewhat like she expected Koza to be joking. 

"In my house I mean, not... you know, here," Koza said, referring to the forest around them. "It's a... somewhat viable solution! We have plenty of room inside, your leg will be able to heal, and you'll be under a roof with food and water! If we just give you different clothing, no one will be able to tell you're an Air Bender."

"Koza, that's crazy," Huvanni said and Koza silently agreed with her. "I mean, hiding from the Fire Nation _in_ the Fire Nation? If anyone even gets even the tiniest suspicion that I'm an Air Bender, I'm done for. Not to mention you'd probably get arrested for treason against the Fire Lord."

"What other options do we have? You'll be hiding in plain sight, but as long as you don't use any Air Bending in public nobody will have any reason to be suspicious!" Koza argued. Huvanni tried and failed to think of a rebuttal, so she moved onto a different reason why this insane plan wouldn't work.

"What about your family? No offense, but judging by your exterior decorating your parents don't exactly seem like the charitable type." She said. Koza sputtered words for a moment to try and think of a way around this when it came to her.

"We can just say you're-you're some exchange student from the Earth Kingdom. Yeah, the daughter of some Earthen nobility who needs a place to stay while she studies in the Fire Nation! My mother wouldn't turn you away then." Koza said proudly. Huvanni clearly wanted to argue some more, but accepted defeat against the Fire Bender's moxie. 

"Okay, fine. We'll go with your bonkers idea. But the second I think anyone's even a little suspicious I'm out of here, alright?" She said with pursed lips before relaxing into a gentle smile. "Thank you, Koza. I sincerely appreciate your generosity and hospitality." Huvanni put her fist into an open palm and bowed to Koza.

"Please, it's the very least I can do after what you've been through," Koza sighed. "Alright, you'll have to stay out in the forest just for tonight. I'll throw one of my extra uniforms out the window, so grab it and put it on when the coast is clear. I'll leave some food out tomorrow morning, too, I'm sure you're starving. Wait for me to come back tomorrow afternoon, and don't let _anyone_ see you." She said rapidly. Huvanni's head was swimming at her quick instructions. 

"Uh, yeah. Got it." Huvanni blinked. She thought for a moment, then continued, "Are you really sure you want to do this, Koza? This is a seriously big deal, and I won't be offended if you just want me gone. I mean, knowingly conspiring with and hiding your Nation's biggest enemy from the Fire Lord? Won't you... lose your honor or something?" Koza gave her a calculating look, the mention of honor unraveling something deep within her.

"Aiding an innocent soul in need and doing what's right at the time of war? What's more honorable than that?"


	4. Master of Lies

Koza could only imagine what she must've looked like walking back into her home. She had attempted to put on as blank of a face as possible in a sordid attempt at not seeming suspicious. At not looking like everything was different now. Uvi, who had already finished washing dishes and was now sipping on a cup of brown liquid that smelled of poppy and cinnamon, unfortunately knew her better than that.

"Miss Koza?" She asked, bringing the small cup away from her mouth. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." She may as well have.

"Don't worry, Uvi, I'm-"

"And you were out there for quite some time. Was there something wrong with the lychee nuts?" Crap, the lychee nuts. Her conversation with Huvanni had made her completely forget about her original task.

"Ah. Yes, there was," Koza tried to think up a halfway decent excuse. "There was... an animal. Yes, an animal had come in from the forest and was eating the lychee nuts." Uvi looked the littlest bit alarmed at the news.

"An animal eating the lychee nuts? Oh, not again. Was it the elephant rats? They were all over the garden last year, Botko nearly broke his back dealing with them all. Don't worry, I'll go take care of them." Uvi shook her head. She placed her cup down and reached for a straw broom leaning against the wall.

"No!" Koza shouted. Uvi jumped at the outburst.

"No?" 

"No... it wasn't elephant rats," Koza stammered. "It... It was... an armadillo bear!" She felt like slapping herself in the head. Armadillo bear, that was really the best she could come up with? Those didn't even _live_ in Ki Lo! 

"Goodness!" Uvi gasped, the broom falling from her fingers and clattered onto the floor. "An Armadillo bear? Around _here?_ Oh Miss Koza, you could've gotten killed! Oh my goodness, I must get a solider immediately!" She cried.

"Wait, don't!" Koza gritted her teeth together. 

"Miss Koza, we can't have such a dangerous animal this close to people's houses!"

"I know! I know, I just... Um..." Come on, Koza, think of something! "I scared it off already!"

"You... you what?"

"I... scared it off," Koza swallowed. "Um... I saw it eating the lychee nuts, and I just kinda... sent some fire into the air, and it ran off into the woods. I followed after it to make sure it had gone. I didn't think Mother would want to eat any fruits that had been touched by a wild beast, so I had to come inside empty handed." They stood in awkward silence for a moment, Koza completely certain that Uvi would never believe such a ridiculous story. 

"I... I see. Well, Miss Koza, though it surely is the sole duty of the Madame to dictate what you can or cannot do, I must give my opinion that that was a very idiotic thing to do. You could've easily gotten hurt, or set fire to something you shouldn't have." Koza held her breath. Uvi looked at her very sternly for a moment before sighing. "However, I will admit that you performed quite bravely under such a dire situation. Quick thinking is an admirable trait to have. Well done, Miss." Uvi looked like she wanted to say more, but Koza spoke up before she had the chance.

"Right. Um, I think I'm gonna get to bed now. It's been a long day, and Sifu said we'll be trying advanced movements tomorrow. So, I should... go.." Koza's hardened facade had somewhat faltered under Uvi's gaze. The woman wasn't intimidating, not even in the slightest. But Koza could barely ignore the heavy guilt that had lodged itself inside her chest.   
Though her position in the family was simply to be the house servant, Uvi had always been something of a makeshift guardian towards Koza. When she was sick or hurt or just in a terrible mood, Uvi never failed to go out of her way to care for the girl. Advice was her specialty, though her homemade Fire Tarts were a pretty close contender. It seemed lying so blatantly to her was more difficult than Koza had thought.

"Of course, Miss Koza. I wish you sweet dreams." Uvi smiled, returning back to her pungent cup. Koza remained where she was, her legs seemingly stuck to the floor. Uvi idled herself with her drink and wrote something down on a nearby piece of parchment, only noticing Koza's lingering presence out of the corner of her eye.

"Do you need something, Miss Koza?"

"I, um... Were the rest of my uniforms cleaned?" She blurted out

"Yes. I placed them in your wardrobe for you." Uvi said with a smile. She returned back to writing for a split second then turned back to Koza. "Is that all?"

"Uvi, what do you know about the Fire Lord?" Uvi looked a bit puzzled at the question, setting her writing utensil down on the counter.

"I know a few things, why do you ask?" 

"It's because... I have an exam about the history of the Fire Lords tomorrow. And my books don't have much information about Fire Lord Sozin, and, you know, I'm just worried there will be a question or two I won't know the answer to." Koza lied. Uvi thought for a minute, tapping her short finger on her chin.

"I've never been one to be very involved in politics, so forgive me if my knowledge isn't as great as Master Shio Kan's. Well, Fire Lord Sozin came into power fifty-eight years ago after the death of his father. He wanted to spread prosperity towards the other four Nations, hence why he set up a few colonies on the shores of the Earth Kingdom so early on in his rule. He has one son, Azulon I think his name is? I'm not entirely sure." She listed off, looking at the ceiling as if it would give her the answers. Koza hung onto every word. "Oh! And not a lot of people know this, actually, but he and Avatar Roku were actually very close as children."

"Really?" Koza asked, surprised. She had never heard that before.

"I only know it because an old colleague of mine once apprenticed in the Fire Palace. But yes, Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin were as close as brothers in their youth. After Roku's discover as the Avatar, though, they drifted apart due to conflicts of interests. Sometimes old friends just drift apart, I suppose."

"What were they conflicting about?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I think it had to do with Fire Lord Sozin wishing to expand the Fire Nation, though I'm not entirely sure why Avatar Roku would be against that." Uvi said with a laugh. Koza's heart sank. "Is that enough information for you? I'd think that Madame would have a bit more knowledge than I do, if you wish to ask her."

"No no, that's more than enough. Thank you, Uvi." Koza said, putting her fist underneath her vertical palm and bowing quickly. She'd have to get to her room soon, Huvanni would be waiting for those clothes. She wondered what she would do with her old robes. Bury them, maybe?

"Miss Koza-!" Uvi gasped.

"What?" Koza straightened back up and stared.

"Why... You've just never bowed to me before." Uvi whispered, sounding like she was about to start crying. Koza hadn't even thought to bow to Uvi just now, it just sort of happened. Like her subconscious mind had just decided for her. ...Had she never shown the woman any formal respect before? 

"I... guess I should work on that, then." Koza replied curtly before turning on her heels and exiting the kitchen to avoid any more awkward conversation. Upon entering the dining area, Koza spotted Fulay and Ojin sitting close together at the table, whispering words that weren't audible enough to make out. The moment Koza's presence was made known, Fulay stood up from the table, her chair scraping against the wood floor at the rapid action.

"Koza, you're back," Fulay said, her sweet and gushy voice completely gone, now replaced by the repulsed drone that Koza was much more used to. "Where are the lychee nuts?"

"Elephant rats were eating them." Koza replied evenly. Fulay gagged rather dramatically. 

"Ugh, again? I told Botko to handle those filthy pests!" While Fulay was ranting, Koza let her eyes move onto Ojin, who was still sitting at the table. They made eye contact, and Ojin flashed a wicked and villainous smile. Koza felt a chill run down her spine, the expression disturbing her in a way she couldn't understand.

"Well, no matter," Fulay sighed, distracting Koza away from her brother. "My craving for tea is gone, anyway. You two head should off to bed." She commanded. Like a puppet controlled by its master, Koza obediently headed upstairs at her mother's demand, Ojin tailing closely behind her. Koza desperately tried to keep her face forwards as she turned down the hall of the second floor towards her room, but Ojin decided that he wouldn't be ignored so easily.

"Dad's coming back next week." His voice sounded from behind her right as her fingertips touched her door. Koza didn't bother turning around.

"Is that so?"

"It's only for a few days. His political influence has been so important lately that he practically had to beg for time off." Koza's hands clenched momentarily at the smugness in his voice.

"Why are you telling me this? He barely even looks at us when he _is_ home. Whether he's here or at the Capital, nothing ever changes." Koza growled.

"Just figured you'd like to know beforehand. Seeing as Mother didn't you were important enough to tell herself." Though she wasn't looking at him, she just knew Ojin was smirking.

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me. You're very consistent, hm?" Koza retorted. Ojin chuckled.

"Things change, Koza. Life can be altered in an instant by one simple decision." Koza felt her blood run cold. "Sleep tight, _sister_." His footsteps moved away from behind her, fading as he entered his own bedroom. Koza released the breath she had unknowingly been holding in and practically shoved her door open, the darkness of the black walls serving as a minimal comfort.

Ojin was just trying to mess with her head, she told herself. He didn't know anything. Although, now she was curious of what Ojin and Fulay had been discussing in the dining area just before she came in. She guessed that's why she was ordered to go gather fruits, to get her out of the room without risk of her hearing whatever it was that only Ojin's ears were allowed access to.   
It was no secret around the household that Ojin, as the only son in the household, was the favorite of their parents. In their eyes, Ojin was stronger, smarter, and more valuable then Koza would ever be. However, purposefully keeping whispered secrets away from Koza... that was new.

Deciding to keep her thoughts off of her dysfunctional family, Koza moved towards the large wooden wardrobe that laid by her back wall and began to root through the identical black and red fabrics that hung neatly on hooks. She found one of her spare school uniforms and tossed it out of the open window into the back garden, watching the clothing lay limply onto the grass. Her eyes became fixated on the abyss of trees that swayed gently in the warm breeze. Among the smells of the night, she could make out a hint of burnt leaves. Thank goodness Huvanni stepped in before things got worse...

"The clothes are down here," Koza called as quietly as possible as not to notify any neighbors. "Get them before the sun comes up." She waited, watching the forest for any movement, though there was none. Perhaps she already went to sleep and hadn't heard her?  
It was a bit eerie knowing that there was a person hiding in the thick maze of trees only a short distance from her doorstep. Though she was mostly sure by now that Huvanni had no ill intentions, the prospect was still mildly unnerving nonetheless. 

Koza didn't have much luck sleeping that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the looming figure of the Fire Lord standing over several helpless Air Benders calling for help as laughed manically, a great blaze engulfing everything around them. She kept waking up every hour or so, sweat staining her nightwear. In the early hours of the morning, the posters she had hanging on her wall depicting the Fire Nation Army seemed to mock her, tempting her to take advantage of what she learned to finally win her family's approval. She tried her best not to look at the Fire emblem flag that hung limply on her wall.

By the time Uvi opened the door to wake Koza up for school, she was already dressed and ready. Spending the past cpuple hours to make herself more than presentable felt like a better use of time than waiting for sleep that would never come. Indeed, while her hair was as tight and neat as ever, Koza's amber eyes held a bit of puffiness underneath them. Hopefully that would have gone away before lessons.

Breakfast was ever the same, only this time around Koza made the extra effort to not look at Ojin. After their talk last night, she found herself doing everything in her power not to meet his gaze. Koza found herself feeling too queasy to eat that morning, only managing two bites of rice. 

"Why don't you leave that out in the garden, Uvi?" Koza suggested once she had come to take their plates. "It's such a shame to let it go to waste. Maybe it'll stop the elephant rats from eating from the garden."

"As you wish, Miss. Koza." Uvi said, stacking the full plate atop Ojin's empty one. Maybe it was just Koza's imagination, but she thought that Uvi was looking at Koza with a new sense of warmth, one that she hadn't seen before. Fulay was nowhere to be seen, most likely still asleep. Koza's mother had never been much of a morning person; in all fairness, if Koza didn't have a job, she probably would sleep in as well. 

School decided that day to not be very eventful, either. Koza had nearly been tripping over herself to get into the schoolyard and hear anything new about the "Air military dismantlement," but not a single word was spoken. Instead, Min decided to talk her ear off about his plans to attend the new Military Academy that had been built on Ma'inka Island. Koza barely listened to anything he said, only giving the occasional "Yes" and "Sounds good."

The day couldn't have ended slower, and Koza was scratching her arms frantically to battle her nerves at the end of her final class. Normally, her and Ojin would meet on the schoolyard and ride on the carriage back home. Today, though, that wasn't going to happen. Koza pushed her way through crowds of mingling students until she spotted her brother, who was standing alone and looking around rather presumptuously. 

"Ojin," she said. "Take the carriage without me. Um, Sifu Zekyun asked me to stay after class for something. I'll just walk home." If Ojin was interested in why a teacher would want to see Koza after school, he didn't show it.

"Whatever." He uttered, turning away from her to wait for the carriage. Step one had succeeded, but it would only get more difficult from here. Koza hid among the side of the school, waiting the yard slowly but surely emptied as students left to go home. She waited patiently, like a hunter for prey, until only a few students remained. Then, she practically rocketed out of the yard and onto the roads that led back home. She had already memorized where to go from the familiar path the carriage always took, although moving on foot gave her a much different view of Ki Lo then she usually had.

Grand houses that only got bigger as you went, shops selling luxury goods to the aristocrats that passed by. There wasn't a single person she could see that wasn't wearing fine clothes. Looking around, you would have never even thought that a genocide was happening at that very moment.

Koza was able to arrive at her house a few minutes before sunset, her legs tingling a bit from the long walk. Checking to make sure none of the neighbors were out, Koza entered the gates and slipped to the back garden. A heavy stream of sunlight fell onto the tops of the trees, illuminating them in warm golden light.

"Huvanni? Are you there?" Koza called from the edge, constantly checking behind her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being watched. Koza knew she would have a lot of explaining to do had Fulay spotted her yelling into the trees.

A familiar rustling of shrubbery alerted Koza of an incoming presence, and Huvanni stepped out from the shadows. Koza had been a bit apprehensive that the school uniform would be a bit too small for the taller girl, but somehow the fiery black and red clothing fit the Air Bender so perfectly, it almost looked like it was made for her. Unlike the torn robes that hid most of Huvanni's body, the Fire uniform revealed her thin but sturdy frame. She looked quite beautiful in Fire Nation colors, Koza noted while she studied Huvanni's appearance.

"Hey, quit staring." Huvanni snapped, though she was smiling. 

"Ah, sorry," Koza quickly apologized, feeling her cheeks grow hot. "I was just... I'm glad it fits."

"It's nice, not as soft as my Air Bending robes, but I'll take it." Huvanni said with a shrug.

"Speaking of, where-?" Koza began, but Huvanni already predicted what she was going to say.

"Stuffed them into a hollowed tree," she said. "I just... can't get rid of them. Not yet."

"It's fine, as long as they're hidden. Did you eat?"

"Yep. What a delicacy, cold rice and a single piece of fruit," Huvanni grinned. "I'm just kidding. Thank you for the food. I've never had plums before."

"Well you can have more tomorrow if things go well. Let's go. And follow along exactly with what I say." Koza led Huvanni around to the front yard, taking a heavy breath as she knocked on the door with a shaking hand. Uvi was quick to answer, looking down at Koza warmly.

"Ah, Miss Koza, welcome home. I hope school was well? Oh, and who is this? A new friend?" Uvi asked, just noticing Huvanni. Koza tried to shove away the beetle butterflies in her stomach.

"This is Huvanni. She's come from the Earth Kingdom, but she moved to Ki Lo to learn about the Fire Nation," Koza replied automatically as if she had rehearsed the very exact conversation. "Sifu Zekyun asked if we could offer our home to her while she stayed here since her parents had to stay behind to take care of important political business. May she stay here, Uvi?" 


	5. New Ties

Koza could hardly believe her eyes when fifteen minutes later, Huvanni- still in her new uniform- was seated at her family's dining table. Fulay had been exceedingly hesitant at first to allow Huvanni to even step foot within the house after learning of the situation. After all, bringing some stranger into her house to provide free care out of the kindness of heart heart was not something she exactly jumped at the opportunity to do. After Koza let it slip that Huvanni was the "daughter of a very important Earth Kingdom politician," however, Fulay nearly tripped over herself to get Huvanni inside.

“Please, sit down, sweetheart,” Fulay had greeted with her signature over-the-top flare. “We all would love nothing more than to have you stay with us for as long as you need.” And now here they were, Fulay seated besides Ojin and Koza with Huvanni, all sitting together like one big "happy" family. Koza and Huvanni kept shooting each other unsure glances, silently sharing the same thought yet again: Was this really going to work?

“So, Huvanni,” Fulay was the first to break the daunting. “Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? What brings you to Ki Lo?” Koza took a tight hold of the table cloth.

“Oh… Well, my family specializes in close relations to other Nations, usually for trade purposes. My family has traveled from all corners of the Earth Kingdom, the Air Temples, and the Water Tribes in order to make strong connections. I’ve had very little interaction or time spent with the Fire Nation, though, so Father thought it would be beneficial for me to visit and learn about the culture and life here.” Huvanni replied, glancing at Koza for approval. Koza gave a short nod, releasing the poor table cloth from her grip.

“That’s so very interesting,” Fulay cooed. “My husband is much more up to date on the affairs of the other Nations than I am. He’s out at Capital Island doing important work for the Fire Lord himself right now, but I’m sure when he returns home he’d be very interested in your Father’s work.” Besides her, Koza could see Huvanni’s shoulders tense.

“I’d be honored to discuss those matters with him sometime in the future.” Huvanni plastered on a fake smile that seemed to please Fulay. The awkward small talk was saved by Uvi, who came to place a large amount of odd dishes that Koza had never seen before on the table.

“Uvi? What is all this? You didn't tell me you were changing the meal plans for tonight.” Fulay said, her persona faltering for a moment as she gave the woman a hard look. Uvi smiled nervously.

“I-I know, Madame. I apologize for my boldness, but I thought that our guest might feel a bit homesick on her first night, so I prepared a few dishes commonly found in the Earth Kingdom. I thought it would make her feel welcome. I hope that’s alright.” Fulay blinked for a moment, turned to stare at the strange foods, then looked back to Uvi.

“Ah, I see... Thank you, Uvi, that is a very kind idea.” She said, her voice stabilizing again. 

“Of course, Madame. I’m sure this isn’t exactly what you’re used to, Huvanni, but I do hope you enjoy.” Uvi said, looking to the girl.

“I'm sure it's all delicious. Thank you for the food, Uvi.” Huvanni thanked graciously, bowing her head. Uvi positively beamed, though from the corner of Koza’s eye she could see Ojin looking quite puzzled at their guest's kindness. Uvi's sapphire eyes were nearly sparkling when she turned to head back into the kitchen.

Uvi had truly outdid herself for tonight; braised turtle-duck, pea tendril and hibiscus root salad, seared elephant-koi, kebabs, chicken-pig dumplings, and even bean curd puffs. An feast that could feed a small village, just for the four of them. Koza recognized several of the Earthen deliquesces solely from descriptions she read in a Earth cooking book once. Helping herself to some of the koi and noodles, she wondered how Uvi even got her hands on all of these items in such a short amount of time. Everyone ate in their signature silence for a moment before Fulay did something completely unexpected: She spoke.

"Well, what do you think about the Fire Nation so far, Huvanni?" Fulay asked pleasantly. Ojin and Koza both stared at her, bewildered. 

"Hm? Oh, I think it's... lovely. Just lovely. The scenery is quite nice, some places more than others." Huvanni replied. Koza noticed her eyes momentarily darted in her direction.

"I completely agree with you. Ki Lo is a wonderful town, but then you have places like M'kargura, whose population is made of nothing but bandits and jobless scum. I sincerely hope Fire Lord Sozin does something about that problem in the near future." Fulay sighed, taking the daintiest bite of turtle-duck like a child tasting a vegetable for the first time.

"What's it like living in the Earth Kingdom, Huvanni?" Ojin asked suddenly. He put on a brave face for such a simple question, avoiding looking at Fulay; if she was allowed to talk at the table, was he?

"It's... interesting enough," Huvanni said slowly. "Very diverse in the major cities, and so many skilled Bending masters and Sages. I'm not an Earth Bender myself, but it's still fascinating to learn about the different styles and techniques used. Though, I've always secretly thought that the Air Temples are much more interesting than, say, Omashu."

"You've been to the Air Temples? Wow, what are they like?" Koza asked with as much interest as she could muster, hoping to blend in with the rest of her family. Huvanni hid a cheeky grin.

"Stunning. The Nomads were all such kind people, and they taught me so much about spirituality and inner peace. Not to mention the flying bison were really something to behold. I'd pay anything to have my own." She said. Underneath the table, Koza gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Yes, the Air Benders were quite a respected people," Fulay stated. "It really is quite a shame that stunt they pulled on the Fire Nation."

"What did they do to the Fire Nation?" Ojin inquired. Huvanni's eyes widened in alarm.

"Say, um, Mother?" Koza said quickly, drawing her family's attention away from the topic. "Where will Huvanni be sleeping? Will we be sharing my room?"

"Goodness no, she'll be in the guest room. We have more than enough space to provide. Which reminds me, Uvi? Please set up the spare bedroom to accommodate Huvanni." Fulay called into the kitchen.

"Yes, Madame!" Uvi's voice called back. She scurried out not a moment later and promptly headed up the stairs. 

"Is Uvi from a Water Tribe?" Huvanni asked out of nowhere. 

"Water Tribe? I... No, I don't believe so. Why do you ask?" Fulay asked.

"That necklace she's wearing. I recognize it from the same kind many women wore in the Water Tribes." Huvanni said simply, taking another helping of bean puffs.

"You're very learned about different Cultures." Ojin observed, looking at Huvanni with intrigue. He was giving her a look that made Koza's stomach jerk, though she wasn't sure why.

"You tend to pick up on many things when you've traveled as much as I have." She replied curtly. She placed down her eating utensils and dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "Thank you very much for the meal. It was incredible."

"Was that enough for you? You only ate the bean puffs and the salad." Koza noted out loud before she could stop herself. Huvanni's eyes gazed guiltily over towards the remaining plethora of food.

"I don't eat meat, actually. I'm a vegetarian. I apologize, it completely slipped my mind to mention it earlier. I had no idea there would be this much prepared." Huvanni said timidly. 

"Oh Huvanni, please don't feel bad," Fulay said dramatically. "Uvi should've asked. Spending all this time and money on cuisine you can't even eat... Typical. That woman is so-"

"Please, Miss Fulay, don't be cross with Uvi. This was all very thoughtful of her, and I sincerely appreciate it. Perhaps we can give what's left to the needy in the community?" Huvanni suggested. Koza held her breath.

"I... I suppose that would be better than seeing it all go to waste." replied Fulay. Though she tried to sound casual, Koza knew her mother was seething on the inside; Fulay hated nothing more than the idea of "lazy, free-loading strangers" benefiting off of her handouts. Whether that ideal was more important to her than making a good impression on Huvanni, Koza couldn't guess. 

"Well... It's been a long day. I think I'd like to get ready for bed," Koza decided after finishing the last bites of her dumplings. "May I be excused, Mother?"

"I'd like to do the same. The ride this morning from home to Ki Lo completely wore me out," Huvanni added politely, following Koza's lead. "May I be excused as well?"

"Of course. Koza, show Huvanni to where she'll be staying." Fulay commanded. Koza and Huvanni both left the table and scampered upstairs, leaving Fulay alone with Ojin. They're probably happy about that, more time to whisper secrets behind my back, Koza thought bitterly.   
Koza led Huvanni into the guest bedroom- which was directly across the hall from Koza's. It was smaller than the other rooms in the house, though it had the familiar red, orange, and black style as the rest of the house did. The same intimidating, unwarm interior decoration... Uvi was inside, changing the sheets of the mattress and fluffing the boar-goose feather pillows.

"Just making sure everything's clean and comfortable." Uvi informed them. Koza stood aside so Uvi could pass by.

"Uvi? You were born in the Fire Nation, right?" She found herself asking right as Uvi was out the door. 

"Hm? Oh, no. I was born in the Southern Water Tribe. I left the Tribe when I was twenty-one and moved here." Uvi responded nonchalantly before descending down the stairs with the old sheets in her arms. Besides her, Huvanni gave Koza a large victorious grin.

"How'd you know that but I didn't?" Koza asked with amazement as Huvanni explored the room with her eyes.

"Like I said, when you've traveled as much as I have you learn a few things. The Nuns always told us it was important that we meet people from all walks of life. Teaches us a lot about empathy and the world."

"I see..." Koza mumbled, folding her arms together.

"When should we go down for the pastries? I've been fantasizing about tarts ever since this morning." Huvanni chuckled to herself.

"My family doesn't really do deserts. Mother doesn't like sweets, so we never have them around unless we're hosting a party." Koza said sheepishly. Huvanni failed to hide her slight disappointment.

"Oh." She reached out and took hold of the red silken window curtains, feeling the fabric between her finger and thumb before speaking again. "Your mom is kind of scary." Koza snorted.

"Tell me about it. Wait until you meet my Dad, he's a thousand times worse." She scoffed. 

"Is it always like this in your house? No jokes or fun, just small talk about politics?" Huvanni asked. 

"Not at all. Normally, we don't talk at all."

"Seriously? Not even during meals?"

" _Especially_ not during meals," Koza rambled. "Father had that rule put in place since I was two. 'Meals are for eating, not talking. If you need to say something, it can wait until you've left the table.' That's what he always said." Huvanni stared at her like she had three heads.

"That's... very sad. We'd always talk during a meal at the Air Temple. The Nuns would tell a story, someone would discuss which flavor of fruit pie was better... They were always full of laughter." Huvanni said quietly. There it was, that damned pity again. Koza was starting to get very sick of seeing it.

"I... always just thought it was a normal rule. That lots of families did it." Koza said. Huvanni shook her head. The two girls stood in silence for some time, Huvanni keeping her eyes on the Fire Bender while Koza found Huvanni's shoes to be a much easier thing to look at. 

"Well... I think I'm going to take a hot bath. Where is-?" Huvanni asked gently.

"To the right, end of the hall." Koza replied. She didn't recognize her own voice. Huvanni nodded in understanding, walking past Koza to leave the room. Right before she did, Koza was taken by surprise when Huvanni enveloped Koza in a tight hug, squeezing her tightly. Koza hesitated a moment before wrapping her own arms around Huvanni as well, returning the embrace. As the other girl was taller than she was, Koza's nose pressed into Huvanni's shoulder. The scent of flowers and smoke lingered on her body. Her hold was tight and calming, reminding Koza of something from long ago that she couldn't quite describe.

She couldn't be sure of how long they stood like that, their arms wrapped tightly around each other as if to protect. All Koza could focus on was keeping as still as possible, lest any movement ended the embrace prematurely. She had long forgotten what this had felt like.  
Despite her wanting to hold on for longer, Huvanni broke free from the embrace, though her hands remained on Koza's shoulders. They stared at each other blankly, waiting for reasoning from the other.

"It looked like you needed that." Huvanni finally said before removing herself completely away from the other girl and hurried down the hall, leaving Koza alone in the dark room that, somehow, didn't seem as cold and unkind as it did just a moment ago.


	6. I Have Your Back

For the second night in a row, Koza found it a challenge to get a decent night's rest. As a new change of pace, rather than being tortured by violent nightmares of the Fire Lord, Koza found herself completely awake only with her mind positively racing. She silently reenacted every event that had taken place over the course of the day: from the sick, twisted feeling that followed her all through the morning, to the paralyzing fear she felt at every slim possibility of Fulay picking up on the charade and exposing Huvanni's true identity. As much as she tried keeping her mind clear, the phantoms of her family kept entering her thoughts like some kind of torturous loop. 

It wasn't even just the nerves anymore, either. No, that'd be far too forgiving. Dark thoughts had begun to creep their way closer to Koza, crawling from a hidden place she didn't even knew existed within her. Was she really doing the right thing? Huvanni was the survivor of a lost war, a victim of the greed of a National powerhouse. And yet... And yet Koza couldn't help but wonder if this was best for her sake.  
Had someone like Ojin discovered Huvanni standing in that forest, fearful and begging for help, well he surely would've turned her in without a second thought. Given her up to the clutches of Sozin and be bring pride and honor to his family name for generations to come for his valiant efforts.

If Koza were to turn Huvanni in, she'd be a hero all throughout Ki Lo. Maybe even all throughout the Fire Nation... Her name would spread far and wide and all would know of her great abilities. Power and fame, something she had always been taught to aspire towards. The chance to prove herself to her family and become something great was literally just across the hall, so why hadn't she taken it yet? Almost everyone Koza knew would do it in a heartbeat. So... how was she any different?

The thought haunted her all the way until the sun came up, illuminating through the window onto her stiff and shivering body. While her eyelids desperately battled against her brain to let them fall, her door opened with a familiar creak.

"I'm up, Uvi." Koza mumbled. She had wanted to get out of the cocoon of blankets she wrapped herself in, but remained there as if her legs and arms were ignoring her command.

"Koza?" A familiar voice whispered from the doorway, only it wasn't Uvi. Koza turned her head and made out the dark figure of Huvanni standing there, her fingers wrapped gently around the wooden door with her face peering in. Without direct sunlight shinning on her figure, she looked like a shadowy demon from Koza's dreams the night before. She tried not to think about it.

"Huvanni? What're you doing?" Koza whispered back, finally getting her body to sit up. Huvanni gently closed the door behind her so it didn't creak and approached closer. Now under the sea of sun, Koza could see the girl was still wearing the Fire Academy uniform from yesterday. 

"Praying. We, the Nuns I mean, always held sessions just before dawn to pray to the Spirits of the day cycle and sun. I just finished, so I wanted to see if you were still asleep." Huvanni said, putting her hands behind her back.

"The Nuns made you all get up that early morning every single day? That's incredible discipline." Koza said, impressed. Huvanni grinned.

"Not really. We'd all go straight back to bed afterwards." Koza slowly got out of her bed, allowing her feet to rest against the hardwood floor for a moment before walking over to her wardrobe to change out of her nightwear. Huvanni courteously turned around while she did so. Removing her clothes, Koza's eyes met her Army posters, feeling like it was taunting her. She really needed to take that thing down...

"How did you sleep?" Koza suddenly inquired while she got into her uniform.

"Honestly? Not great. I mean, it beats sleeping on the forest floor, but it just wasn't home, you know?" Huvanni answered with her back still turned, masking her expression. "It was like every time I tried to close my eyes, I just kept seeing Nun Ayoni fighting those soldiers, all those girls hiding under beds and fearing for their lives... I'm sorry, it's-"

"Don't feel sorry. You've been through a lot, you shouldn't feel bad for being affected by it," Koza stated firmly. "I mean, I wasn't even there during the genocide and I can't stop thinking about it, either. Just hearing about it is enough to keep me from sleeping at night, I can't even imagine what it was like to actually experience it."

"You know, I was gonna say you looked like a half-dead otter-penguin but I thought that'd be rude." Huvanni said, her voice laced with humor no doubt to mask the severity of the situation. Nevertheless, Koza couldn't help a small smile and a shake of the head.

"You can turn around now." Huvanni did just so, twirling back around so quickly the top part of her Fire uniform nearly wrapped around itself. She gazed carefully at the inside of the wardrobe before Koza shut it close.

"The Fire Nation wears a lot of black and red." She observed.

"Yeah, and the Air Nomads wear a lot of orange and yellow." Koza retorted.

"Well the Air Temples are a basically a commune, so it makes sense. This feels more... militaristic."

"Have you _not_ seen the Fire Nation, of course everything is militaristic. We wear the same clothing to battle as we do to a flea market." Koza scoffed, smirking ever so slightly. 

"At the very least spice it up a little. Add a bit of purple, that'd make all the difference!" Huvanni continued, moving to sit on Koza's bed.

"We're a Nation for fighting, not for fashion. But I'll bring it up to the Army generals the next time I see them." Koza shook her head, amused, and began doing her hair. Huvanni watched with silent interest as Koza brushed out any knots or frizz in her long hair and tied it back into the signature bun.

"You have really pretty hair," Huvanni noted. "I've always wanted to grow my hair out long, but this is as far as I've gotten in sixteen years." She said, picking up the brown strands and frowning. "It looks really nice when it's down, why do you always put it up?" Koza's heart rate increased momentarily. It was an unspoken rule among Fire Benders that the only people that should see you with your hair down are the closest members of your family; it was considered disgraceful for anyone else to see you without it done. Koza had only just realized that Huvanni had seen her without a bun, something even Fulay had never seen. Koza began to silently fret over her idiocy when she remembered.  
Huvanni didn't care about her hair style. She didn't even understand its significance in Fire Nation culture. Koza had accidentally showed her one of the most vulnerable aspects of her person, and she didn't even bat an eye. Koza didn't have to keep up her strict regime around her...

"It's considered custom to keep your hair held back," Koza explained after her momentary freak-out. "Both men and women do it. It's kind of like a metaphor for our honor. You know, we want to have it controlled and neat so we remain honorable."

"And what happens if someone is dishonorable?"

"Usually? You cut it off." Koza replied. It was a common form of public punishment; cut your hair short to let everyone else know you've brought shame to your entire family tree. It wasn't as harsh as say, fighting in an Agni Kai, but Koza still shuddered at the thought of loosing her precious locks due to being a disgrace. An Agni Kai was painful, but cutting your hair was guaranteed isolation for years. 

"Can you do that to my hair?" Huvanni's random request took Koza by surprise. She placed the golden hairpin in her bun and looked over at the girl who was now sitting cross-legged on her bed.

"What?"

"Put it in a bun, I mean. Or at least teach me. I figured if I wanted to blend in, this would be a good step." said Huvanni. Koza had to agree with her sentiment; walking around without any kind of up-style was bound to attract attention. 

"Yeah, of course." Koza said, digging around for the extra hairpin she had laying somewhere. It wasn't gold like her own, but it would suffice. Huvanni shifted around to expose the majority of her hair to Koza, who then got to work.   
Although Huvanni's hair appeared to be just as soft and thin as Koza's was, she was not expecting the brown strands to be as thick as they were. Her hair was soft and dense, like a warm woolen coat or something similar.

"A lot of Air Benders have thicker hair," Huvanni spoke, no doubt reading Koza's mind. "We live close to the sun on top of mountains and there's constantly wind blowing every which way. Gotta have some kind of resistance. Do you need help?"

"No, I got it," Koza replied, brushing out the few knots. While she worked, Koza began to think about the villainous thoughts she had about betraying Huvanni... Her throat burned as she managed to put all the hair into a cohesive bun; it looked nearly identical to Koza's.

"Great, Fire Nation conformity here we come!" Huvanni grinned, touching her new hairdo with admiration. "Seriously, thanks. It looks really nice. You're really good at this!"

"Thanks." Koza said, smiling a little sheepishly.

"So when we get to school, do you think I could ask for a new uniform? I'm getting a little grossed out wearing the same one two days in a row."

"Sure, you can- wait, when _we_ get to school?"

"Uh, yeah. The story is I'm supposed to be learning about Fire Nation culture, right? It'd be weird for me _not_ to go to school." Huvanni replied, failing to hide her eagerness at seeing how a Fire Academy operated. Once again, to Koza's dismay, she was right.

"...Okay, yes, you're right. But you need to remember some things before you get there. Y-"

"Keep to yourself, don't cause trouble, listen to the teachers, don't let people know you're an Air Bender. Got it." Huvanni's eyes twinkled with mischief. Koza pursed her lips.

"You... just... shut up." She muttered as Huvanni laughed loudly.

The morning had been, to Koza's utter relief, mostly uneventful. Breakfast was utterly silent, proving Koza's point from the night before to Huvanni. The carriage came around just as usual and the three students piled in. Huvanni had sat besides Koza, her face nearly pressed up against the glass window to watch the passing scenery. Koza took the time to silently make sure she had all her items for school, while Ojin occasionally glanced at Huvanni. 

"Why do so many people have fountains? I didn't expect people in the Fire Nation to use so much water." Huvanni broke the silence with a chuckle at how bizarre it seemed, glancing at the siblings for an explanation. Ojin didn't react to the unexpected break in silence.

"Most simply like the way they look." Ojin answered. Huvanni nodded and looked back to the window. Koza glanced slyly at her brother, who shrugged. 

Arriving at school, Koza could feel a few students staring at them as they walked past. Or, more accurately, staring at Huvanni. She was strikingly beautiful, after all, so it wasn't much of a surprise that many of the boys were gawking at her. Huvanni didn't seem to mind, though, keeping her face forwards as she trailed behind Koza. They headed straight into the school building, strolling straight past a rather confused Min.

Koza explained the entirety of Huvanni's fabricated backstory to the Headmaster, who was more than happy to formally enroll her for the academic year and handed her a fresh new uniform. The Headmaster took the liberty of putting her in all of Koza's same classes, assuming they'd want to keep close. He was right, of course, but not in the way he thought. By the time the classes ended and it was time to go home, Koza finally felt like she could breathe again.

"I never knew the Fire Nation was so... involved in other Nation's battles." Huvanni said as she and Koza headed towards the schoolyard.

"Of course. We're great and powerful, it's _only right_ we shove our noses in affairs that don't concern us." Koza replied, failing to hide her sarcasm.

"It was interesting! I actually really enjoyed today."

"Really? You're surrounded by the people that destroyed your home and you're learning about their bloody history, and you enjoyed it?"

"Again, _you_ aren't the ones who destroyed my home. That isn't the fault of anyone here." Huvanni said gently, referring to the students standing about the schoolyard. 

"I... guess so..." Koza sighed, shifting her books from one arm to the other. Deep down, she knew it was the truth. It wasn't like the children of the Fire Nation had started a war. But Koza still couldn't shake the guilt like she had some part to play in it all. The two girls were trying to make their way through the crowd when:

"Hey, sweetheart!" They both whisked around to look for the source of the drawling voice. An older boy, even taller than Huvanni, was standing a short distance away. He was a mass of hulking muscle with a uniform that barely fit him. He was staring at the girls hungrily.

"I'm talking to you, pretty." Koza sighed, looking at Huvanni despairingly.

"Ignore him. They're just getting excited because you're new and-"

"Your name's Koza, right?" The boy had moved closer, looking down at them with a toothy grin. Koza blinked. Oh, he was talking to _her?_ She hadn't expected that.

"Um... yes?"

"The name's Kiro. I've seen you in our Bending classes. Daughter of Shio Kan, right? Yeah, you're pretty strong, not to mention real cute. How would you like to be my girlfriend?" Koza stared up at the boy and raised a crooked eyebrow. He was extremely attractive, at least from a standard viewpoint. Not to mention, clearly strong. However, Koza was not looking for a date at the moment, especially not with a boy who was arrogant enough to ask such a major question before even knowing the girl.

"I think I'll pass, thank you." Koza replied evenly, turning to head back through the courtyard. She felt a tight grip on her arm pull her back.

"Whoa, not even gonna give me a chance? That's harsh, Koza. Come on, don't be so hasty. I'm a really nice guy, I promise." Kiro urged, his eyes staring deeply at her. Koza felt her heart begin to pick up speed.

"She said no," Huvanni's stern voice spoke the words for her. "Accept that and leave her alone." Kiro turned his piercing gaze onto her.

"I'm sorry, was I talking to you? No? Then stay out of this." He growled. "You and me will be a great couple, Koza. My dad's a Fire Sage, so I got plenty of money. Believe me, we-" Kiro's whimsical fantasies were interrupted when he was suddenly began to lose his balance, his feet slipping out from under him as he was knocked back by an invisible force. His grip on Koza's arm released as he fell, crashing onto the pavement on his back. A couple students who had been watching the encounter laughed at his misfortune. 

Koza slowly glanced to Huvanni, who was standing tall and stiff. Behind her back, her left hand was flattened vertically like she was about to push on her own spine. Koza quickly realized what she had done.

"Let's get out of here." Huvanni mumbled, taking Koza's wrist and walking off, shooting one final glare at Kiro, who was still laying on the ground as more students gathered to stare at him. Although Koza was feeling rather indignant at how she kept finding herself being pulled against her will, she took note that Huvanni's grip was much more gentle than Kiro's. 


	7. Sense

Koza allowed Huvanni to essentially drag her all the way out of the courtyard and down the main roads. Huvanni stomped against the paved roads, her shoulders tight and on the defense- like a soldier heading into battle. Koza found herself staying absolutely silent, the sudden shift in Huvanni's attitude rather alarming.   
The two girls traveled passed buildings and shops as they made their way out of the city and further towards the suburbs. A few people passing by stared at them with curiosity, but all continued on at seeing the hard look on Huvanni's face. For someone who was raised by Nuns all her life, she definitely could be scary, Koza thought while her arm felt like it was about to get dislocated. 

They finally started to slow down in what Koza recognized as what Fulay always called West Street: Rows of houses and mansions that were, incredibly, West to where they lived. An old friend of her father used to live here, so they had come through the neighborhood quite often in prior years. While Koza gained a wave of nostalgia, Huvanni's angered front began to falter. Her footsteps became lighter and her brisk pace had slowed significantly. She looked all around at her surroundings, her eyebrows furrowing while she glanced quickly in between houses.

"You're lost, aren't you?" Koza sighed. Huvanni jumped, as if she had forgotten Koza was even there. She turned around and met her eyes, her arm releasing its grip on Koza's and falling to her side.

"Lost? Who's lost? I'm not lost." Huvanni moved her head to break the eye contact.

"What did you expect, running off into the middle of a city you've been in for barely three days!" Koza hissed in a whisper, using caution in case anyone was lingering nearby.

"Okay, I'm sorry. That was a stupid move, and I shouldn't have done that," Huvanni admitted. "But I couldn't stay there any longer. It was disgusting seeing that guy come onto you like that. He had no right to put you in that position." 

"But to Air Bend in front of a huge crowd of Fire Nation students? Huvanni, you could've _easily_ been caught right then and there. What the Spirits were you thinking?" Koza demanded. Huvanni continued avoiding her gaze.

"...Look, I don't know. I don't know what I was thinking. All I knew was that you were in trouble and I couldn't just stand there and watch it happen. On the bright side, none of those people know what Air Bending looks like, right? I hide my movement behind my back, so nobody should've been able to pick up on it." Huvanni's voice had gone rather quiet. Koza took a deep sigh.

"Don't think I don't appreciate what you did, because I do. I just... I don't want you risking yourself just to keep some jerk from hitting on me." Koza folded her arms. Huvanni finally looked up to meet her gaze again.

"But I want to protect you." The sheer desperation in Huvanni's voice took Koza by surprise. _She_ wanted to protect _her?_ Shouldn't it be the other way around? Besides, how could someone be so defensive over a person they had meant not even a week ago?

"You barely even know me." Koza accidentally said her thought out loud. 

"That's not true," Huvanni said gently. "I know plenty. I know you hate mushrooms. I know you're not very close with your family." She listed off. All things she had observed from last night's dinner, Koza realized: When she had removed the mushrooms off of the turtle-duck, the faces she made whenever Ojin spoke. Had Huvanni been watching her that whole time?

"Those are just... little things. Pointless quirks that don't matter." Koza muttered. 

"I think they matter. They're what make you _you_. ...But I also know that you're kind, generous, loyal to a fault. You care for the well being of all life, even if you don't admit it. And I know you're putting way too much blame on yourself over things that are out of your control." Now it was Koza's turn to break away eye contact, turning her head away so she didn't have to look at those piercing gray eyes any longer. 

Koza had always seen herself as closed-off and reserved, just as how she was raised to be. The less you allow others to know, the less weaknesses they can use against you; She and Ojin had become masters of shutting off and shutting down, burying their inner thoughts so deep that even they couldn't reach. For Huvanni to analyze her and pick up on her thoughts and behavior so easily, to read her like she was an open book... It was humiliating, to say the least. 

"I'm assuming I'm correct, then." Huvanni said. Koza's fingers twitched.

"So what if you are? What are you even trying to prove with that nonsense?" Koza shouted. Huvanni didn't waver under Koza's frustration. 

"That you deserve to have someone on your side, Koza," she said. "You deserve to have someone who will back you up the same way you back me, and you deserve to feel safe. And I want to be the person who provides that for you."

"How? How could you ever trust me that quickly?" Koza urged.

"Because whether or not you realize it, you're a good person." said Huvanni. 

"That's not true," Koza said all too quickly. "A good person wouldn't go against their family, their home, or life as they know it."

"They would if they recognized that in doing so, they're helping someone less fortunate then themselves." Koza hadn't even realized up until now that Huvanni had taken hold of both her hands. Her soft fingers held gently onto Koza's own calloused ones.

"Koza, I know this is a lot for you to take on. Every part of your being is at war with each other, either fighting for honor or for morality." Koza winced slightly at the mention of honor. "I can't tell you what decision to make, it's not my place. But after all you've done to help me, I can't stand seeing you have this much inner turmoil. If... If it would release your pain, maybe I-"

"Absolutely not. You're not going anywhere, Huvanni." Koza interrupted, already knowing what the Air Bender was going to say. She took her hands back and fixed the single hair that had fallen out of place. "Going against the Fire Nation in this way, yes I admit that it's beyond stressing me out. But that's not an excuse to just send you on your way. I promised to keep you safe until your wound was healed and tensions died down enough for you to get out of Ki Lo. Speaking of, how is your leg?" Huvanni pulled up her pants leg to show the burn mark, still as shockingly red as it was back in the forest. It would no doubt leave a serious scar.

"It's fine, Uvi said she would look for this burn medicine today. But don't change the subject," said Huvanni, pulling the fabric to cover her leg once again. "You've done more than enough for me out of sheer kindness. I don't want you thinking that you have some... some obligation towards me."

"I'm not about to just sit by and let one of the last Air Benders walk around the Fire Nation, alone and hurt." Koza said rather sharply. Huvanni's face fell somewhat. "I'm conflicted about this. Of course I don't want to bring shame to my name, or get arrested and placed in a Capital prison. But that's not enough to throw you to the wolves. I just couldn't do that, not to you." Was she really about to choose this odd girl over her honor, the very foundation that made her as a person? 

"Thank you, Koza. And in return, I promise to always have your back. I will treat you as a trusted companion and friend." Huvanni spoke, her eyes filled with determination. So they were right back to square one. Well, thought Koza, perhaps having someone you actually trust and get along with could actually be a good thing.

"Fine. Then I guess it's a promise, we'll have each other's backs." Koza said carefully.

"It's a promise." The two girls stared at each other for a short minute, a sea of unsaid words being shared between their looks. 

"We should get back, before the sun sets." said Koza. Huvanni blinked.

"Huh? Oh! Yes, we should do that. You should lead the way, though." Huvanni said with a sheepish grin, motioning for Koza to go ahead. It almost seemed like she was having difficulty prying her gaze off of the Fire Bender. Nevertheless, Koza took the initiative and led the two of them back through West Street, moving down the familiar ancient path she somehow still remembered from years ago. They walked passed many other houses, large and luxurious and all identical. The girls managed to stay silent the entire time, both lost in their own individual thoughts.

They reached Koza's home just as the sun was getting ready for its dissent down the horizon. They hadn't even reached the door yet when Uvi practically launched herself outside.

"Ms. Koza! Ms. Huvanni! Where in the Spirits were you two?" She cried loudly. "Master Ojin came home on the carriage hours ago!"

"I'm so sorry, Uvi," Koza said guiltily, bowing her head. "Huvanni wanted to walk home from school, in order to see more of Ki Lo, and I suppose we failed to inform Ojin of the fact. My most sincere apologies for-" Koza didn't have the chance to finish the statement when Uvi wrapped her in a tight embrace. Her entire body was shaking.

"I kept thinking the worst, I imagined something terrible had happened to you. Oh Spirits, I don't know what I would've done if you had been in danger. I was so worried. Please don't ever do that again." Uvi sobbed, pressing Koza's face into her shoulder. Koza couldn't even form any words, simply listening to Uvi's cries. Had she really been this concerned over Koza's well-being? She had never seen this side of Uvi before. Well, then again, Koza had never wandered off after school without telling anyone, either.

"Oh goodness, I'm sorry about that, Ms. Koza. I suppose I've just gotten more emotional in my later years." Uvi released her hold on Koza, stepping back and wiping her wet eyes on her sleeve.

"It's alright, Uvi. Really. I appreciate your concern." Koza finally found her voice, though it was rather quiet. Uvi gave a soft smile and sniffled.

"You're very kind, Ms. Koza. Madame and Master Ojin have eaten already, but I-I still have both of your plates ready inside. Come in when you wish to eat." She said, bowing quickly and hurrying inside, taking short breaths as she did so.

"'You're very kind, Ms. Koza,'" Huvanni mimicked from behind her. "See? Even Uvi thinks so!"

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Koza waved her hand. Huvanni's sly smile faded into a soft expression.

"She really cares about you, huh?"

"I guess so." Koza shrugged. She had never really thought about it before the past couple of days, but she supposed it was the truth. Uvi always treated Fulay and Ojin like, well, the rich family she worked for. But she always treated Koza like... well, better.

"Let's eat, I'm starving." Koza said and headed inside, not bothering to wait for Huvanni. Fulay and Ojin were nowhere to be seen, probably both having gone back to their rooms. Uvi was re-setting the table and placed down two plates of what appeared to be some kind of vegetable dish. Koza noted her hands were still shaking somewhat as she did so.

"Ms. Huvanni, Madame informed me of your dietary restrictions last night. I sincerely apologize for serving you food you were unable to eat. I've made vegetable rolls for you both, I hope you enjoy." She said.

"Thank you, Uvi." Huvanni said, seemingly appearing from out of thin air behind Koza. Uvi bowed and vanished into the kitchen, leaving Koza and Huvanni to take their seats. They both ate in silence for several minutes, Koza slicing the rolls and eating them with chopsticks while Huvanni delegated to use her hands.

"We should make a fruit pie tomorrow." Huvanni said randomly while Koza was in mid-bite.

"Sorry?"

"They're a common treat in the... Earth Kingdom," Huvanni said, glancing momentarily to the kitchen to check and make sure Uvi wasn't listening. "Sweet egg custard filled with the most delicate fruit cream. They are _so_ good."

"You really like pastries, huh?" Koza asked. Huvanni grinned.

"Sweets are one of the major food groups for the Nomads. We sometimes got the pies exported from the South, made by this guy... Gyatso, I think his name was? The Nuns were pretty good bakers, but none of their pies ever competed with the ones from the South. They were absolutely incredible. You'd really like the cherry ones, I think."

"Well, unfortunately I don't think I know how to bake an Air Bender fruit pie." Koza said. I don't know how to bake period, she thought to herself. "Though there's gotta be at least one place that sells sweets in the main city, not all of the Fire Nation citizens are _that_ wound up. We could go look tomorrow if you want?"

"Sounds like a plan. I doubt anything here is as good as anything back home, though. No offense."

"None taken."

Dinner finished between the two girls, and after sitting at the table for a bit longer to talk about the lessons they had learned at school that day, Koza decided to bid goodnight and take a bath before going to bed; perhaps relaxing her muscles would help her sleep. She trudged upstairs and entered the room that was at the end of the hallway, half of which was taken up by a wooden tub. There was a metallic tube hanging just over the tub, a string pulley hanging off of it.   
Koza removed her clothes and set them aside before removing her hair pin, freeing her hair from its prison. She reached over and pulled the pulley, which opened up the tube to release a stream of pleasantly-warm water to pour into the tub. Steam wafted from the stream and into her face. Koza waited until the tub was mostly filled before releasing her grip on the pulley. The metal closed up again and stopped the stream. She stepped inside the tub and sat down, letting the hot water cover her entire body, washing over the several new burn marks and bruises she had gained during Bending lessons.

She sat there in utter silence for several minutes and kept her mind clear. It was peaceful, something she had forgotten the feeling of. It felt like she was enveloped in a large blanket.   
Koza didn't even remember closing her eyes, but she opened them again to vanquish the short-lived bliss. She sat up, taking her chest out of the warmth, and positioned to sit directly under the metal tube. She yanked the pulley again and a new stream of water poured directly onto her head, soaking the parts of her hair that had managed to remain dry. She took a piece of soap that was laying close by and scrubbed the invisible filth off of her skin. She looked at the tightened skin around her palms, the marks Sifu Anon had said were the sign of hard work.

_"A Master Fire Bender without any signs of training or effort is a Master born of luck, and nothing else."_ She recalled him saying once. Even if that was true, Koza wasn't very thrilled at having decrepit, aged hands before she had even turned eighteen. 

Koza finished her bath, allowing the now cooled water to drain through a removable hole in the tub. She allowed her body to drip dry, standing still in the now frigid air which made boar-goose pimples appear on her arms. She grabbed one of the soft clothes that was folded neatly in the cupboard and covered her body with it, and headed into her room to change into her nightwear.

Koza had only just finished changing when a strange noise caught her attention. It sounded like someone was laughing from across the hall. Was it Huvanni? Clearly Ojin wasn't the type to suddenly start laughing right before bed, so that only left one other option. Koza crept out of her room and over to Huvanni's door, knocking three times. At once, the sounds stopped.

"Huvanni?" Koza asked. "Can I come in?" There was no reply, so she decided to take that as a "yes." Opening the door, Koza was met with Huvanni sitting against the back wall with her knees pressed into her chest, her eyes wet and red; she wasn't laughing, she was crying.

"Huvanni! What's wrong, are you okay?" Koza said quickly, rushing to her side. Huvanni held in another sob, trying to wipe off her cheeks.

"It's nothing, I'm-I'm fine." She insisted through a shaky voice.

"Please don't lie to me. Tell me what's wrong." Koza pushed. Huvanni's lower lip quivered.

"I keep thinking about the Air Temple. About the Nuns, the other girls... Noll... It's like the second I think I'm starting to move on, I start crying all over again." Huvanni scoffed at herself.

"It's only been three days. You have to let yourself grieve." Koza urged.

"But it won't achieve anything! They're all dead, I understand that _perfectly_ clear! So why can't I..." Huvanni trailed off, her words being replaced by another outburst of tears, followed by her burrowing her nose into her knees. Koza kept close beside her, rubbing her back in a rather pitiful attempt at comforting the girl.

"I miss them so much." Huvanni managed to spit out.

"I know."

"I wish they were all still here."

"I know." Huvanni cried for a long, long time. Koza's legs were completely numb from the claustrophobic position she was in, and yet she didn't dare move a muscle. Huvanni's tears finally began to lessen once it had gotten dark outside.

"Koza...?" She asked in a dry and weak voice.

"Hm?"

"Can you stay with me? I can't... I don't want to be alone right now. I'm so sorry." Huvanni whispered, not even being able to look at the girl. 

"Don't apologize. I'll stay with you for as long as you need."

"Thank you." Huvanni sniffled, shifting so she could be closer to Koza. She fell asleep rather quickly afterwards with her head leaning against Koza's shoulder, no doubt having completely wiped herself out. Koza watched Huvanni's breathe gently in her sleep, her face much more peaceful in her dreams. She really was beautiful...  
Though it took a bit longer than her companion, Koza soon also found her eyelids growing heavy.

And despite kneeling atop numb legs on a hardwood floor with another person asleep on her shoulder, Koza was certain that that night was the best she had slept in quite some time.


	8. Good and Bad

Over the course of the next week, Huvanni seemed to be adjusting rather well to life in the Fire Nation. After that particular night, Huvanni hadn't had any more "incidents," at least none to Koza's knowledge. The Air Bender had subsequently perked up after her initial break down, which was positive at the very least. She had become much more talkative with everyone- especially Koza- and had even taken to making a few good-spirited jokes at her expense. Koza didn't mind; that just meant Koza could retaliate with her own sense of humor.

For the first time in what seemed like, well, ever, Koza's household felt alive. Huvanni's sudden shift into ultra-high-spirits had managed to influence Fulay and Ojin, the latter of whom had even started to go out of his way to speak one-word sentences to his sister, a ground-breaking change. It usually involved simple phrases such as "the weather is nice today" or "I saw some merchants in town earlier," but it was still a massive step forward. Koza was incredibly grateful for Huvanni's influence on her family, although she still secretly wondered where this massive change even came from.

The night Koza had found her slumped lifelessly on the floor, sobbing for those that had so unfairly been taken from her, Koza knew she would never be able to offer any true comfort to the poor girl. No words of sympathy would even come close to easing the pain Huvanni was experiencing. The only thing she could even think to do was just stay close and be there for her. Make sure she didn't feel alone. Though Koza hadn't thought she did anything very helpful, Huvanni seemed to have a new appreciation for the Fire Bender that following day.

It was a fairly cloudy morning as Koza got ready for school; although specks of blue attempted to push past the white blanket that had shown up overnight, not even the sunlight had much success in getting through. This kind of formation was common for the time of year, though. The sky would most likely be cleared that afternoon.  
Koza dressed herself like any other day- Uvi had washed her uniform last night, so the fabric felt clean and new- although she found herself silently humming a short tune that Huvanni had been singing a couple of days ago. The silly song got stuck in her head, it seemed. She wasn't necessarily mad about it. 

"Mornin'!" A chipper voice called from the door. Koza smiled to herself, not even needing to turn around to know who it was.

"Hey, Vanni." Koza greeted the girl, spinning around while tying her hair back. Huvanni was already dressed in her uniform and her hair perfectly aligned in her own bun, following Koza's instructions perfectly. "Keep your voice down, you'll wake the whole neighborhood."

"Please, like anyone around here sleeps in during the week." She snickered. She stood in silence momentarily and watched Koza finish styling her hair.

"Do you want something?"

"Actually, yes," Huvanni said, smiling bashfully. "Tonight, right after dinner, I want you to sneak outside with me."

"What?" Koza asked with a raised eyebrow. Huvanni laughed.

"Hold on, that came out wrong. I meant that I want you to see something that's outside."

"That doesn't sound any better, you know. It makes it sound like I'm going to get kidnapped." Koza replied, though she was keeping her lips tightly together to stop from grinning.

"Okay, okay. What I'm trying to say is that I want to show you something really, really cool later. So will you join me?"

"Why can't we just go after school? Why do we have to sneak out for it?"

"Because it only happens at night. Just trust me on this one, okay? Please?" Huanni begged, giving her sad parrot-puppy eyes. Koza sighed reluctantly.

"Fine, fine. I'll go with you. But if my mom catches us, I'm blaming this whole nefarious plot on you, got it?" Koza asked, placing her hands on her hips. Huvanni nodded, her bun bouncing up and down as she did so. Koza lost the fight with herself and grinned at Huvanni's enthusiasm; it felt almost impossible not to.

"Great! If you're ready, let's go get breakfast." Huvanni said, her shoulders swaying to invisible music. She grabbed Koza's wrist and brought her down into the dining area, where Ojin was already seated. Oddly enough, his plate was completely untouched.

"There you are. I was waiting for you." He said, looking up at them as they descended from the staircase. He seemed to suddenly regret his choice of words and his face flushed a light crimson. "I-I, um, thought it was rude to start eating when you weren't here. When you both weren't here!" He sputtered, choking on his own words. Koza and Huvanni shared a confused look.

"Morning, girls! Did you sleep well?" Uvi's sing-song voice sounded as she poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Yes, Uvi, thank you." Huvanni beat Koza to the punch of answering. While they took their seats, Koza couldn't help but notice Ojin's gaze kept shifting onto Huvanni. He kept turning away before she could point it out, but something about this was sounding off alarm bells in her brain.

"Do you know where Fulay is? She's usually here to see us off." Huvanni commented as she started on her bowl of rice.

"Ah, Madame had a few important errands to do last night and said she'd be staying over a friend's house. She should return by the time you get home." Uvi answered kindly. Koza barely was able to hide a scoff.

"Codeword for she's sleeping with an Army Captain downtown." Koza leaned over and whispered into Huvanni's ear. Her eyes widened slightly, though her face remained neutral.

"Koza, don't whisper at the table. It's rude." Uvi scolded. Koza quickly leaned back.

"Sorry, Uvi."

"I do hope she finishes all her tasks before tomorrow. The Master would be quite unhappy if his wife was out all evening." Uvi continued rattling on as she dusted a bit of nearby furniture. Koza nearly choked on her juice.

"Father is coming home tomorrow?" She asked, appalled.

"Yes. Didn't Madame discuss this with you already?" Uvi asked, confused.

"No. She didn't." Koza replied, glaring daggers at Ojin who had found the ceiling to be quite interesting all of a sudden.

"Master Shio Kan was given a two-week leave in order to spend some time with his children before they graduated from the Academy," Uvi went on. "He should be taking a boat early tomorrow morning and returning home just before the evening. Oh, Huvanni, it is so nice that you'll finally be able to meet the Master. He takes great pride in his work. He's going to just want to talk your ear off!"

"Sounds… riveting." Huvanni said with all the enthusiasm of one of the potted plants nearby.

"Don't worry. Father isn't as frightening as you're imagining him to be," Ojin spoke up, still staring at the ceiling. "Treat him respectfully and you'll be fine. But... if you want me to step in and get his attention off of you, I'll do it."

"...Thanks, Ojin, I appreciate that." Huvanni replied curtly. Koza watched as Ojin's face turned a bright red again and tensed.

"We should get going now. Don't want to be late, you know?" Koza said a bit louder than she had intended to. She hurried the other two along, bid a hasty farewell to Uvi, and practically pushed them all outside.

"Watch it." Ojin warned as he clambered into the carriage. Huvanni glanced at Koza curiously and followed suit.  
The carriage ride was reminiscent of the old days before Huvanni entered their lives: Silent and discomforting. Huvanni sat besides Koza just as she always did, an action that appeared to bother Ojin severely today. Koza couldn't care any less about how he felt.

Koza's uncharacteristic bout of irritation was cut prematurely the second the carriage arrived at the Academy. There, they found students standing gingerly to themselves, clearly scattered in an attempt to keep away from one another. Only the occasional shared whisper from a duo of friends came even close to breaking the eerie silence.

"What's going on?" Huvanni asked as they clambered off of the carriage.

"I… don't know," Koza replied as Ojin roughly shoved passed her. "I've never seen this before." She searched through the crowd before she spotted Min standing close near the shrubbery, looking quite uneasy.

"Min!" She called his name and approached with Huvanni close behind her. The boy looked up and relief washed over his face.

"Koza, oh thank the Spirits…"

"Min, what's going on? Why is everyone acting weird?" Koza asked.

"You didn't hear? Jeez, do your parents tell you anything? Oh, hi Huvanni." He said, momentarily losing focus to greet the girl. Huvanni waved.

"No, they don't. So?"

"Do you remember last week when Fire Lord Sozin sent out troops to dismantle the Air Bender military?" Koza couldn't help herself and glanced alarmingly at Huvanni. The girl stood motionless, her face a blank slate. "Well, the result of what happened finally got out last night. Apparently, the Air Benders were way more prepared than anyone ever expected them to be. Every single Air Bender fought back, even those not a part of the military.

"It was an absolute massacre. Even though our troops were there to simply dismantle power, those so-called "pacifists" were killing as many as they could. Our soldiers were battling for their very lives. In order to save each other, the Fire Benders had no choice but to fight an eye for an eye. All four Air Temples were completely exterminated. Luckily we had numbers on our side, otherwise we would've been destroyed. It's horrible that it came to that extreme, of course, but they were left with no choice." Min said in such nonchalant tone that Koza wanted to punch him in the jaw.

"So there's just no more Air Benders? They're just wiped clean from existence? Surely that will disravel the world as we know it!" Koza shouted.

"Why does it matter? The Air Benders never did anything for anybody else. Never participated in trades or world affairs, nothing. They committed a heinous crime and then tried to take the Fire Bender Army down with them. Good riddance, I say." Min scoffed. Koza saw Huvanni's shoulders tighten out of the corner of her eye.

"And what about the Avatar? Did they kill him, too?"

"Nobody knows. Rumor has it that he managed to flee right before the Fire Nation arrived. What a coward, running away just to save his own skin…" Min tutted. "But that's why everyone's on edge. If the Avatar managed to escape, there's a possibility he could be hiding in the shadows somewhere, plotting his revenge against the Fire Nation. Or whose to say more Air Benders didn't escape and are hiding out somewhere?" Koza's blood ran cold. "That's why everyone's sticking to themselves. They're all paranoid there might be an Air Bender hiding out among us."

"Please. Like anyone besides the Avatar would be able to escape the Fire Nation's fury." Koza was surprised to hear Huvanni speak. She stared darkly at Min, her eyes clouded with an emotion Koza had never seen before. "The Fire Nation is ruthless. They would never let even a single Air Bender escape. If the Avatar did get away, they'll track him down within a few days."

"Yeah, I suppose that's true." Min said, looking at her questioningly.

"W-well, this is a big deal. A _very_ big deal. I hope Fire Lord Sozin is prepared to face the consequences of this. I mean, how is he going to explain this to the Water Tribes or the Earth King that an entire Element is just gone?" Koza spat.

"The Fire Nation already has valuable colonies on the shores of the Earth Kingdom. I don't think the Earth King will have anything to say about Fire Nation affairs." Min said with an arrogant smirk. The sound of a gong rang through the yard, and all of the students began trickling inside the building. "School time. See you later, girls." Min waved and joined into the line of sheep, leaving Koza and Huvanni alone.

"Vanni-" Koza began, but Huvanni waved her hand to cut her off.

"Don't. I'm okay, really," She said with a half-hearted smile. "I told you so." Koza's heart sank.

"You don't have to pretend to be alright." Koza said earnestly, grabbing hold of Huvanni's hands.

"And you don't have to be solely responsible for my well-being," she replied gently. "I've said it a million times already, I don't blame the students or the citizens or-or even the soldiers for any of this! It's the Fire Lord that's at fault here. His alone, and there's nothing we can do about him. And that's okay."

"But it's not okay!" Koza felt her throat beginning to burn as she held back tears. "This isn't right! They shouldn't think of you as an enemy!"

"But they do. Because of lies they were forced to hear. The two of us can't change that. But the fact that even one person, one incredible and kind person is on my side is more than enough for me. Right, Koza?" She asked. Koza nodded slowly, unable to formulate even a single word. "Let's get to class."

Koza's burning throat stayed with her for the rest of the day and even on the carriage ride home. The entire day was just a headache-filled blur filled with snippets of her teacher's saying words she didn't understand nor care about. She couldn't even bring herself to eat dinner that night, something her mother didn't take very kindly to.

"It's such a waste. There are starving children out there who would love to have a home-cooked meal." Fulay mocked after the third failed attempt to get Koza to eat. Then give it to them, Koza thought miserably. She slumped in her chair and stared down at the beautiful meal that had been prepared for her, ignoring the uncomfortable tension that she had created at the table. She wanted to eat even a little bit, just to get Fulay off of her back, but her stomach was twisted into nauseating knots.

"Uvi, I'm finished. Koza, why don't we go upstairs and talk for a bit." Huvanni said, handing her cleaned plate to Uvi.

"Oh, please Huvanni. Maybe you can knock some sense into that girl," Fulay sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't know what's gotten into you today, Koza, but I didn't raise you to act like a spoiled brat."

"You didn't raise me at all." Koza muttered, accidentally saying her thoughts out loud.

"What was that?!"

"Nothing, ma'am." Koza said quickly, escaping upstairs with Huvanni before she got even more upset. The Air Bender silently brought Koza into her room and quietly closed the door, then headed towards the window.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were more upset about my people being murdered than I am." She finally spoke, glancing at Koza over her shoulder as she opened her window.

"I know, I'm sorry-"

"I didn't mean it as a bad thing. I just hate seeing you so worked up like this," Huvanni continued. "And, you know the other night when I was… upset, you were there for me without hesitation. I'm so thankful for that. So I want to repay the favor." Koza watched as she carefully climbed out of the window and onto the edge of the roof. She jumped straight up, as if the wind itself had pulled her, and vanished from sight. Any other person would be alarmed at the sight, but Koza knew her far too well at that point. "Coming?" Huvanni's teasing voice sounded from above. Koza hesitated for only a second before clambering out the window after her, holding on tight to the wall so she didn't slip. She stepped onto the roof tiles of the first floor, her legs quivering from under her at the lack of balance. Koza turned her head up to look at the top roof of her house, a familiar face peering down at her.

"Here, grab my hand and I'll-" Huvanni began, but was taken aback when Koza suddenly leapt up from below, boosted up by a mass of orange fire swirling around her legs. She landed gracefully right next to her, her eyes gleaming ever so slightly with mischief.

"Didn't think I could do it on my own?" She taunted playfully.

"Your words, not mine." Huvanni snorted. Koza looked around at the sky view of her neighborhood, a maze of luxurious towers and lights that stretched on for miles. She had never seen them at this angle before. It was almost pretty.

"So, you've got me curious now. How is being on top of my roof going to be comforting?" Koza asked, kneeling down.

"Like this." Huvanni knelt down as well and pointed up. Koza followed her gesture and audibly gasped.  
The blackened night sky was dotted in millions of bright white stars, more than Koza had ever seen before; small balls that twinkled and shone from great distances away nearly covered the spreading black. However, the most amazing thing was that plenty of the stars were in visible movement, racing through the endless sky as if some great Spirit was throwing them across the horizon.

"Meteor shower," Huvanni explained, smiling at Koza's awe. "There's one every four years, give or take. I remembered the Nuns discussing that the one this year would be tonight, just by chance. I didn't think it'd be very fun to watch it alone."

"Wow… thank you. I've never seen anything like this." Koza whispered, prying her eyes from the incredible sight just long enough to look at Huvanni.  
In the light of the moon and the stars, she truly looked like she was glowing- just as she had on the night that they met. She had long released her tight bun and allowed her hair to flow down freely, spilling all over her shoulders. Her stormy eyes twinkled just as much as the stars did, Koza thought. She really was one of, if not the most beautiful person Koza had ever seen. And she looked so… so happy. But how? How could she smile and enjoy herself even after a day like today?

"I'm so glad I get to spend this time with you." Huvanni said without averting her gaze from the sky. So that was how. Because Koza was with her. The thought made her heart skip a beat. The fact that Huvanni wanted to spend as much time with Koza as she did with her, it made her happier than she had ever felt before. Nothing had even come close to her. Being with Huvanni… it just made her feel alive..!

Oh no.


	9. Fear

After several days of peaceful slumber, Koza had once again found herself unable to fall asleep. This time, though, was much different than the last ones. This time she wasn't filled with guilt or horror over Sozin's actions against the Air Nomads, or even against the world in general. This time her chest was pounding like a drum to thoughts of fear and shame, terrible realizations that were so powerful and overbearing that they consumed every ounce of her being. Because Koza had uncovered a filthy, twisted secret about herself; one that she didn't even realize she had been hiding until she was on the roof, watching the stars.

She was in love with Huvanni.

It felt like treason to even think of those words. Feeling romantic feelings towards an enemy of the State? That was bad enough as it was. But for them to both be girls... That was treachery in its _own_ right.

One of the very first laws Fire Lord Sozin passed when he rose to power was banning any and all same-sex relationships within the walls of the Fire Nation. _"It is evil and wrong to love another man as you would your wife, and it goes against the very fabric of Nature,"_ or something along those lines had been his excuse. Since then, had anyone been caught in such a heinous relationship, they'd be lucky to just be exiled from the Fire Nation. Koza had heard many stories of two romantically-involved men or women being thrown in the infamous Boiling Rock Prison for the rest of time without even a slimmer of hope of seeing the outside world again. The punishment fit the crime, everyone always said.

A lifetime punishment over a forbidden love... It sounded like the kind of story elderly women gathered to discuss at a book club. It almost felt appropriate in an ambivalent sort of way; Koza had been so stressed about being caught hiding an Air Bender from the Fire Lord, and now... Now the Spirits were just mocking her. Falling in love with the girl she swore to protect, to care for until she could escape enemy territory? What kind of a sick joke was this?

What did she even know about love in the first place? It wasn't like Koza had ever actually been in a relationship before to know what it felt like. Perhaps this wasn't infatuation at all, rather... She had just grown very fond of Huvanni as a friend. Yes, that was it! Koza had never had a close friend before, and now that her and Huvanni had grown tightly together, she was mistaking her feelings towards the Air Bender as romantic. That was clearly the explanation here. There was no way, absolutely _no way_ that Koza would ever have feelings for another girl. It was disgusting and wrong, and Koza would never be someone like _that._

She spent the early morning hours repeating those words to herself, trying to ease her stress by assuring herself that she was simply confused. That she wasn't in love with Huvanni, or _any_ girl for that matter. That she wasn't any more of a disappointment to her culture than she already was.

Koza's eyes were heavy by the time sunlight was streaming into her room and despite her reassurances against herself, she felt completely sick to her stomach.

"Ms. Koza? Are you awake?" Uvi's gentle voice broke through the swirling demons in Koza's brain. She sat up from her bed quickly; her hands were shaking.

"Yes, Uvi." She replied hollowly. 

"Are you alright, Koza? You look unwell." Uvi asked, stepping inside the room. Koza didn't reply, instead choosing to stare blankly at the back wall. Uvi crouched besides the bed and placed a cool hand against Koza’s forehead. "Oh dear, you're absolutely burning up. More so than usual, anyway," Uvi muttered. "I suppose this is what was ailing you last night. I'm afraid I won't allow you to go to school today, Ms Koza, you need to rest and break off this fever. Why don’t I make you some porridge, that'll fix you up in no time."

"That's okay, Uvi. I'm not very hungry." Koza croaked, finally finding her voice. It wasn't a lie, either; she was afraid that even the scent of food would cause her to vomit. Uvi frowned.

"Ms. Koza, you didn't eat dinner last night. You must eat something if you want to get better," she urged. "I'll bring up a small portion. Just try to eat as much as you can, alright?" 

"...Alright." Koza finally gave in. Uvi's boisterous smile returned as quickly as it had disappeared.

"Good girl. Now just rest, I'll be back in a few minutes. Oh, it's such bad luck to have fallen ill on the day the Master is set to return. Hopefully you'll be better by tonight." Uvi said, more to herself than to Koza. 

"Uvi?" Koza asked just as Uvi was about to leave the room, still staring straight ahead. 

"Yes?" Uvi turned back around, waiting expectantly. 

"How do you know if you're in love?" Uvi looked physically taken aback by the question. 

"Pardon? That's a rather unusual question for the morning, don't you think?" Uvi chuckled lightly. The joke was met with silence. "Well... I suppose there isn't really a straight answer, unfortunately. Love is... very complicated, I'll say at the very least. And everyone experiences it differently, so that just makes it more difficult. 

“But I think the key idea is that the person brings you nothing but joy. You trust them and would do anything to protect them or be there for them, because you know they’d do the same. That you're happiest when you're with them, you never want to leave their side and be with them for the rest of your life... I'd say that's love." Koza compared Uvi's words to how she felt about Huvanni and her chest grew heavy.

"Why do you ask? Is there a certain someone you've got your eye on?" Uvi teased gently, smiling brightly. Koza didn't meet her gaze.

"I... guess there is." 

"You don't sound all that happy about it."

"Because I'm not," Koza admitted. "I've never felt this way about before. About _anyone._ It's so... so confusing."

"Yes, first loves can be scary." Uvi said wisely, sitting down at the foot of the bed. Koza resisted the urge to clamber into the comfort of her arms like a scared child. "It's overwhelming sometimes to realize you have strong feelings for another. You can feel vulnerable and helpless, which I'm more than certain you’re not all that happy about.”

"What should I do about it?"

"Well, you can either try to move past your feelings and go on about your normal life, or you can tell the person how you feel about them."

"I can't do that," Koza said with such vigor it surprised both of them. "There's no way. It would ruin everything, there's just no way Hu- He would like me in that way."   
Though she had been thinking it the whole night, saying the words out loud made her feel depressed. Koza was positive Huvanni didn't have the same feelings. They were friends, nothing more. Confessing such a vile secret, it would no doubt drive Huvanni away. Send her flying away somewhere Koza couldn't find her. The thought made her want to cry.

"That's part of the risk, isn't it?" Uvi gently rubbed her shoulder. "If you don't tell him, then you both carry on as usual. But you'll never get the chance to become something more. If you do tell him, of course there's the obvious chance of being rejected. But there's always the possibility that your feelings will be returned.”

"How do I know if I'll be rejected or not?" Koza's voice quivered.

"You don't. If you're willing to take that chance, you just have to make a leap of faith." Koza took in the words for a moment, relaying the conversation in her mind. The advice was practical, of course, but could she ever get herself to put it into practice?

"I should get that porridge going now. You need your energy for when the Master comes home." Uvi said, patting her legs and standing up.

"Uvi?" Koza asked as she crossed the room. "Did you ever make a leap of faith? Er, I mean confess to someone before?”

"Once. Long, long ago." Uvi replied with a far-off smile that told the story of decades before. She left without another word.

As soon as Uvi was out the door, tears began spilling down Koza's cheeks. The week of anxiety, stress, and terror now combined with her new romantic feelings had proved to be just too much for one person to bear. She cried and cried until there were no more tears in her eyes left to shed. Releasing all the built-up emotions did make her feel better, but not by much. She was still struggling to get her shaking breaths under control when someone knocked on her door.

"Morning, disease spreader." Huvanni said. She was holding a bowl of steaming rice porridge as well as what looked to be a wet towel. "I- Whoa, are you crying? Koza, what's wrong?" Her joking voice changed to one of concern at the blink of an eye. She set the bowl down onto the floor and sped over.

"Don't get close, I don't want you to get sick, either." Koza mumbled, wiping away her tears as if that would make any difference now. 

"That's not important right now. What is important is are you okay?" Huvanni asked. Koza couldn't even bring herself to look at her.

"No, I'm really not. But I don't really want to talk about it right now. If that's alright with you." 

"Of course, you don't have to talk about anything you don't want to. But I'm here if you need." Huvanni said softly. Using the most gentle hand, she wiped away Koza's tears. She recoiled slightly at Huvanni's touch. "Koza?"

"I-I'm sorry. It's just too hard. I-I can't..." She could barely even form words for what she wanted to say. What _did_ she want to say? ...She wanted to tell her how much she meant to her. How she couldn't bear the thought of being without her. Every horrible thought that ran through her head, she wanted to say in that moment. But instead, her voice failed her.

"You're clearly under a lot of distress, Koza. Look, why don't I take off from school today and stay with you? I don't want you to be alone like this." Huvanni suggested.

"You don't have to do that. You should go, you might get in trouble if you don't. Please." Koza urged. She didn't need to look at Huvanni to know the face she was making.

"If you want me to, then I'll go. Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?"

"Uvi will be here." Koza reminded her.

"Yeah, but... Can we at least talk about this tonight? I want to be there for you, even for a little bit."

"That's the issue..." Koza mumbled under her breath, before nodding her head.

"I'll... see you tonight then, I guess." Huvanni frowned. She squeezed Koza's hand and held it for a moment. Koza resisted the urge to let more tears fall at the gesture; why did Huvanni have to make this more difficult than it already was?

"Here, Uvi told me to bring this up to you. Feel better, Koza." Huvanni grabbed the bowl from off the floor and handed it to Koza, as well as going out of her way to place a cold cloth on her head. The smell of the porridge flooded her nostrils, luckily not making her sick like she had originally thought.

"Thank you." Koza barely whispered. By the time she looked up, Huvanni had already gone. Damnit, damnit, damnit! What was wrong with her? Huvanni just wanted to be there for her, and Koza couldn't even let her do that. Why did she insist on always being such a good person? Always wanting to put Koza's needs before her own, or putting herself in danger for the sake of herself. The obvious answer would be because that was how she was raised, but... was there even the tiniest possibility that... No, no Koza refused to even put the thought into her head. They both were taking far too many risks as is. To actually form a relationship with each other, right under the noses of her entire family? It just wouldn't work.

Koza began to slowly work on the porridge, the warm taste of the rice providing a much-needed comfort. It felt as if she was experiencing the nostalgia of a non-existent better time with every spoonful, memories that didn't belong to her flashing within her mind as she actually managed to finish off the entire bowl. There were no more tears left, but the warmth that rose within her from the meal made her want to cry again. Koza never remembered breakfast feeling so melancholy. 

She didn't remember falling asleep at all, but when Koza's eyes blinked open again, the bright sunlight from that morning had withdrawn to the back corners of her room. It must be close to the evening now, she realized with a start. She got out of bed, her nightwear feeling hot and sticky against her skin. It was a lucky thing she had managed to finish off the porridge, as the now-empty bowl was laying completely upside down on her sheets.   
She picked up the bowl and wondered if Huvanni and Ojin had gotten home yet. If it was close to evening, they should be heading back soon. And Huvanni would want to talk about what had happened that morning… Was Koza ready to tell her yet? Voices from below interrupted her wistful thoughts. There were multiple people talking, although Koza couldn’t understand the specific words being said from in her room.

Curious, Koza quickly and sloppily put her hair up and crept out of her room- the bowl still clutched in both of her hands- and stood near the staircase, listening. 

“More colonies? Don’t we have enough territory already?” Fulay’s typical exasperated drawl became clear enough to make out.

“You’re not thinking of the possibilities. More territory in the Earth Kingdom means more resources to send back to the Capital. With Earthen materials, we can create better ships and armor.” A deep and serious voice answered Fulay. Koza’s eyes widened, and through her surprise, the bowl slipped out of her fingers and onto the floor, shattering at the impact.

Though she hadn’t heard that voice in a very long time, she still recognized it instantly. It was the voice that she always sought after in her childhood, the voice that she always longed to hear praising her accomplishments or any sort of acknowledgment of who she was. 

Shio Kan had returned home much earlier than expected.

Koza was so overwhelmed with shock that the shattering of the bowl hadn’t even registered until a clamor of footsteps began heading straight towards her hiding spot. Koza had no time to flee back to the safety of her room when Fulay moved to the foot of the stairs to look upwards, joined immediately after by a large man. A man who looked so much like Koza, down to eye color and facial structure, it made her feel sick. She stared down at her double, daring him to say even a single word.

“Oh, Koza, look at what you did! That bowl was imported clay!” Fulay whined, all too quick to spot the bits of shattered pottery surrounding her feet. She looked between her husband and her daughter frantically, waiting for someone to justify her fit. 

“Koza. You’re awake.” Shio stated the obvious, not acknowledging his wife’s temper tantrum. Koza could’ve bowled over and laughed right then and there; so he _did_ remember her name. She wasn’t sure he would. 

“Yes,” She responded, her flaming eyes meeting his own. “Why didn’t you come upstairs?”

“Uvi said you weren’t feeling well. I didn’t want to bother you.” Cheap excuse.

“You’ve been away for over a month, I don’t think I would’ve minded.”

"It's not like I'm leaving again tonight." Shio grunted in reply, staring right back at her without so much as a single blink. The battle of wills would have lasted well into the night, but was prematurely interrupted by the opening of the front door. 

“Father!” Ojin cried joyfully, practically throwing his bag away from him and running into Shio’s arms. Shio embraced him tightly, rustling his son’s black hair.

“And there’s my Ojin. Work hard at school today?” Shio was all smiles now.

“Of course. Sifu says that I’ve nearly mastered Fire Bending as a whole.” Ojin said proudly, his arms wrapped so tightly around Shio’s midsection that it looked like he was trying to squeeze his father in half. Nevertheless, even a strong young man like Ojin was having trouble holding onto Shio’s tight muscle.

“That’s what I like to hear. Well done, Ojin. You’re going to be a powerful man some day, I’m completely sure of it.” Shio said. Ojin was grinning like never before, a joy he only ever expressed on the rare visits from his father. Even Fulay, who had subsequently forgotten about the broken bowl, was all smiles. Koza watched the three of them mingle together, completely forgotten.

“Oh, Father, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. This is Huvanni.” Ojin broke free from his father’s grip just long enough to motion to the door. Adjusting herself to see the other side of the staircase, Koza could see Huvanni standing rather awkwardly in the doorway, waiting for someone to give her permission to move.

“Ah, so this is Huvanni. I’ve heard a lot about you, young lady.” Shio said. He approached her and held out his hand, which she hesitantly shook. “Daughter of an Earth Nobel, yes?” Huvanni nodded. “Well, I’m honored to have you as our guest. I’m sure you’ve had a long day, however. Feel free to freshen up, then we can all have dinner. I have much I’d like to discuss with you.” 

Koza turned away before she could hear anything else. Shio Kan only just met Huvanni, and yet he treated her with more respect and dignity than he had ever given his own daughter. This really was how her family was; this was how it always had been and always will be. Fulay, Ojin, and especially Shio Kan; they just didn’t like her. As unfair and brutal as the truth was there was nothing that could be done about. And yet here she was, fighting back another fit of tears because Daddy didn’t give her as much attention as everyone else.  
No matter how much she was hurt by them all, she always came crawling back. Why? Was it because they were the only family she had? Was it because she knew there would never be anything better? And why, _why_ did they hate her so? Koza had done nothing but everything to make her family proud- get top of her grade, nearly drown herself in extra classes and activities, and this was the thanks she gets. Treating her like she didn’t even matter.

Koza didn’t even realize she had failed to make it into her room until a familiar hand grasped her shoulder. Koza stood against the wall, her feet completely stuck to the floor.

“What?” The question came out a bit more harsh than she had intended.

“Remember this morning when you said we could talk later? Well, it’s later.” Huvanni said with a bit of a matter-of-fact tone. Koza’s grievances about Huvanni were momentarily forgotten in the face of her Father’s return, and she was able to actually look at the girl this time. 

“You really just don’t give up, do you?” Koza sighed. Huvanni smiled cheekily at her.

“When it comes to someone I care about? Not really. Now come on, tell Auntie Vanni what’s wrong with you.” The two girls slumped to the floor, leaning against the wall. Huvanni waited expectantly while Koza gathered her thoughts together. How would she even say something like this? _“I’m not entirely sure, but I’m mostly certain that I’m in love with you, and I know that we could literally be killed for that but it’d be nice if we formed a relationship together.”_ Yeah, like that would go down well.

“So?” Huvanni encouraged after a minute. 

“It’s… it’s hard to say out loud.” Koza swallowed.

“You can do it. You can tell me anything.” Huvanni said. Koza wished she wouldn’t look at her with those ashen eyes. Spirits, why did she have to be so pretty?! Koza didn’t deserve to be with someone like Huvanni. She deserved to live a happy life with someone equally as kind and funny, not some Fire Bender who couldn’t even get her own brother to like her. Ugh, why was this so difficult? Just get it over with, say it!

“It’s my Dad.” Koza blurted out. Huvanni tilted her head somewhat like a confused polar bear-dog.

“Your Dad?”

“Yeah. I was thinking about his visit this morning, and I got really upset,” Koza bantered on before she could stop herself. “You know I don’t have the best relationship with my parents, and… things were hard enough with just Mother and Ojin in the house, but adding Father… Now we have three people in the house who don’t want me around.”

“I’m sure that’s not true. Your family just might now show affection in a traditional way.” Huvanni spoke.

“Really? Did you not see how they were acting just a second ago?” 

“Yeah, that’s a little hard to support, huh?” Huvanni smiled sympathetically. “I’m sorry. It’s probably really tough having to live with a family like that. I never knew my biological parents, but the Nuns treated each and every one of us like their own children. I couldn’t even imagine them treating any of us like your family treats you.”

“It’s not a lot of fun, I’ll say that much.” 

“Well… They’re really missing out, because you’re pretty great. It’s a loss on their part, and nothing else.” Huvanni playfully bumped her shoulder against Koza’s. “And hey, you still got me and Uvi. We’re not a bunch of stuck-up prudes, either, so there’s that benefit.” For the first time that day, Koza smiled.

“Thanks, Vanni.” 

“Anytime. I’m gonna go splash some water in my face. You should get dressed and come eat with us, if you’re feeling better. It was sad not being able to sit with you this morning.” Koza’s heart twinged.

“Right. I am actually feeling a lot better. I’ll meet you downstairs.” She said. Huvanni grinned and stood up, heading into the bathroom. Koza remained on the floor, listening to the clutter of voices from downstairs. Uvi’s words from that morning flashed into her mind: _“If you're willing to take that chance, you just have to make a leap of faith."_

Koza stood up and walked into her room, changing out of her nightwear into the black dress she kept around for formal occasions and heading downstairs. It would seem that a leap of faith would have to wait for another day.


	10. Desertion

Dinner that night was an incredibly stressful affair, at least from Koza’s point of view. Uvi had tried to convince Koza to sleep off what was left of her spur of illness, but upon the girl’s insistence, reluctantly sat her at the table. Rather than her normal seat besides Huvanni, Koza found herself sitting at the head of the table and away from everyone else. How appropriate. 

“So, Huvanni,” Shio Kan began while they waited for Uvi to serve the food. “What kind of work does your father partake in?” Cutting to the chase right off the bat, Koza supposed. She looked worriedly at Huvanni, trying to catch her eye in case she needed backup. However, the Air Bender had some tricks up her sleeve.

“Mostly trade. Father makes connections with big names around the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes, usually sages or nobles. From there they set up deals so they each get access to goods that benefit both parties. Father tries his best to be fair.” Huvanni droned off like she had rehearsed the answer. 

“Ah, I see. My work involves me collaborating alongside some of the most powerful men in all of the Fire Nation. Perhaps we can all work out a deal in the future with your father.” said Shio, gingerly sipping on his hot tea.

“Yes, perhaps.” Huvanni repeated, quickly glancing at Koza and dramatically rolling her eyes. Koza hid a snort.

“How is the Fire Lord doing these days? I heard a rumor a few days ago that he was looking sickly.” Fulay butted in. Although the question was clearly directed towards Shio, she didn’t look at him.

“Nothing but the babbling of idiots. I can assure you, Fire Lord Sozin is doing more than well. In fact, I’d say he has it in him to make it at least another fifty years. Even bet money on it, maybe.”

“Have you met him face to face?” Ojin crowed, looking at his father with rounded eyes.

“Indeed I have,” Shio said with a smile. “Sometimes we nobility gather to give advice on expansion plans or economic advice. It’s politics, nothing personal. When you have a career such as that, you must learn to put your personal admirations aside.” Out of the corner of her eye, Koza spotted Fulay and Ojin share a look.

“Dinner time!” Uvi chimed in cheerfully, coming in from the kitchen. Much like the first night that Huvanni had stayed with them, Uvi had gone out of her way to prepare a multitude of dishes: Hippo-ox tail skewers, smoked fish, braised vegetables, dumplings, and super spicy Fire noodles- Shio’s favorite. 

“The dumplings are vegetarian, don’t worry.” Koza overheard Uvi whisper to Huvanni as she placed the dishes onto the table. Huvanni smiled in appreciation.

“You’ve truly outdone yourself, Uvi,” Shio noted, helping himself to the Fire noodles. “Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome, Master.” Uvi bowed her head, refilling Shio’s cup of tea and scurried back into the kitchen. The family ate in deafening silence, not a single soul daring to break the rules when Shio Kan was around. Koza kept her head down, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone- especially Huvanni. The revelation she made about her feelings regarding the girl still lingered in the back of her mind, taunting her with every passing second. Would she ever be able to move past this?

“I’ve missed a home-cooked meal.” Shio exhaled as he dabbled the corners of his mouth with a napkin. Now that he had finished eating, they were free to talk. The rule  _ was _ put in place so he could have silence at a meal, after all. “Let me tell you, you’re going to miss those small comforts when you’re Capital.” He said to Ojin.

“Why is Ojin going to the Capital?” Koza asked before she could realize the implications of the question. Her family all shared estranged looks with one another, coaxing someone else to answer the question so they didn’t have to. 

“Well… One of my superiors brought up to me an opportunity of having one of my children apprentice at the Capital. Several of the other nobles are doing it, too. Learn and work closely with the professionals, and if the program goes well then they will be offered a full time position. I had decided that Ojin would be the best fit for the apprenticeship.” Shio replied, his fingers tapping repetitively on the table. 

“He had sent a letter weeks ago telling us the plans. We’re both leaving in two weeks.” Ojin said quietly, gazing at Huvanni longingly.

“I… see.” Koza stated. So that’s what Fulay and Ojin had been whispering about earlier in the week… Ojin was offered the opportunity of a lifetime, one that all Fire Nation children aspired towards, and they had done everything they could to keep it from her. “Did you consider me at all?”

“Pardon?”

“For the apprenticeship. Did you have to think about which one of us you would choose, or was I completely out of the running as usually?” Koza demanded. Shio’s eyebrow twitched.

“Koza, your brother is older and more experienced than you. He’s almost nineteen, he’s going to need a job as soon as he graduates from the academy. Most young men started their lives at sixteen, but Ojin decided to take those extra two-year classes, which I’m proud he did but he needs to find fast work if he wants to support himself.”

“Right, right. Yeah, that’s the reason. Nothing to do with favoritism or anything.” Koza’s bitter resentment began to bubble out of her voice. 

“Koza, watch your attitude.” Shio said sternly.

“And we most certainly do not play favorites in this house.” Fulay chimed in. Even Ojin gave her a doubting look. 

“I just don’t understand why it has to be just one. Couldn’t you have argued for us both to get apprenticeships? Did you even think about me at all?” Koza couldn’t keep the venom out of her words. Shio’s face hardened.

“If I had demanded more than what I was given, that would practically be begging to get the opportunity taken from your brother. Is  _ that _ what you want? For him to be as much of a damn disappointment as you are?” Shio shouted, slamming his fist onto the table. The plates clattered together at the impact and Koza flinched. Time seemed to freeze, not a single aghast face daring to move.

“Who wants custard tarts?” Uvi’s sing-song attitude chimed as she stepped into the dining area carrying a tray of beautifully yellow tarts. Fulay, Huvanni, and Ojin all turned their heads to look at her. “Oh, am I… interrupting something?”

“No, Uvi. We were just finished.” Shio said darkly, keeping his furious gaze fixated on Koza.

“...Ah. W-well, I do hope you enjoy. These tarts are… imported…” Uvi’s voice failed as she set down the tray and hurried back into the kitchen without even bothering to clear the remaining plates. The tension in the room was so heavy Koza felt like it was physically weighing her down. She allowed her eyes to dart towards Huvanni, who was staring down at the tart stiffly. The thing she had been begging and pleading for for days, and now she couldn’t even enjoy it because Koza had ruined it. Just like she always did.

“I think I’d like to be excused.” Koza said quietly.

“Yes, that’d be best,” Shio growled in response. “I have important matters I’d like to discuss with Huvanni and Ojin, anyway.” Trying to ignore the crushing feeling in her chest, Koza slid back her chair and hobbled up the stairs, blinking away the hot tears that threatened to spill out.

“I sincerely apologize for that behavior, Huvanni. Koza has always been something of a difficulty.” Shio’s voice echoed from below the staircase. Koza ran into her room and slammed the door shut before she could hear anything else. Two weeks, she just had to get through two weeks… 

She sat on her bed and stared at the ground for quite some time, trying to calm herself down by thinking of something else. Anything else. Maybe she could try to graduate three months early. Then she could move out sooner, find a job somewhere… Somewhere far away. Maybe her and Huvanni could leave together, live somewhere they both could be safe. Of course, it was wishful thinking.

_ Knock knock.  _ Someone was at her door. She had a funny feeling of just who it was.

“Huvanni, please. I think I just want to be alone right now.” Her voice was dry and weak. The door creaked open and footsteps entered the room. Koza gritted her teeth together.

“Huvanni, I said-!” She stopped. It wasn’t Huvanni standing in the doorway, it was Ojin. He stared at her blankly as if he was just as surprised as she was. “Oh. Sorry, I thought you were Huvanni.” Koza decided to be the first to break the silence.

“I figured. She’s still down there getting lectured by Father. ...You two are really close, huh?” Ojin asked casually. Koza prayed that her face didn’t flush at the question.

“You could say that.”

“Has she told you anything about her personal life? Like… I don’t know, future plans? Aspirations? If there’s someone back home she’s seeing?” He asked, fidgeting in place.

“Can you be any more subtle? ...No, she hasn’t.” Koza admitted with a sigh. Ojin’s eyes lit up, though he tried to hide his excitement. 

“I see. Alright, nice. Very nice.” He murmured, getting lost in his thoughts. Koza began to grow irritated.

“Okay, you heard what you wanted to hear. Now would you kindly get out?” She was on the verge of shouting at him. Ojin’s delight fell off of his face.

“Actually, that wasn’t why I came in here.”

“Then why? To-to brag about the new opportunity Daddy Dearest chose for you and not me? Gonna mock me because you’re so successful and loved and I’m not?” Koza stood up, her upper lip curling like an animal’s. Ojin didn’t falter under her fury.

“The opposite, actually. I wanted to tell you that I personally think it is wrong of Father to choose one of us over the other. We’re brother and sister, we shouldn’t be put up against each other like a couple of dogs.” Ojin said calmly, meeting her eye. 

“You’ve never minded before. In fact, you  _ love _ it when they make us compete. Because then you get to prove over and over how much better you are.” Koza cried. 

“I know,” Ojin said guiltily. “Mother and Father always raised me to believe that I  _ need _ to be the best. That as their only son, it’s my duty to be better than everyone, including you. But it’s not fair that they… that we treat you that way. It’s a bit embarrassing that it took a lecture from Huvanni to get through to me. She’s very knowledgeable about peace making.” He said.

“When did you two talk privately?” Koza asked, her heart sinking.

“Today during the carriage ride to school. She… had a lot of opinions on how things should change here,” He replied sheepishly. “But she’s right. You deserve the same amount of respect that I’m given.”

“So what’re you going to do about it?” Koza asked. Ojin blinked.

“Huh?”

“You’re saying it’s wrong for Mother and Father to treat me like they do. So what are you going to do about it?”

“I don’t understand…” Ojin said cautiously. 

“Are you going to tell them that? Demand from them that I should get equal treatment? That I deserve opportunities just the same? Or maybe even refuse the apprenticeship?” Koza demanded. Ojin said nothing, staring at her wordlessly. “That’s what I thought. Don’t feed me that garbage, telling me you’ve ‘reformed’ or whatever. You don’t care about me at all, you’re just trying to impress your little crush by mending the bridges our ‘evil parents’ destroyed between us.”

“No I’m not!” Ojin shouted, his cheeks a bright crimson.

“If you weren’t, then you’d actually do something to help me. But you won’t. Because you don’t want to. You think that if you come in here and pretend like you’re on my side, I’ll forgive you and we can all live like one big happy family, you get to go on and be successful, and of course you get the girl of your dreams. Well that’s  _ not _ happening, so you can forget about using me to win Huvanni over. Because guess what, I know her better than you  _ ever _ will. And she would never fall for a selfish, pompous jerk like _ you _ .” Koza shouted, getting right up and close to Ojin’s face.

She clearly had struck a nerve with her last taunt. Ojin’s entire face burned an angry red. He opened his mouth to retort or deny or say  _ anything, _ but no words came out. He gritted his teeth, trying to will himself to say one last hurtful remark before storming out of the room without so much as a peep. Koza watched him go before slumping to the floor, taking a deep breath.    
She hated to admit it, but yelling at him felt really good. Like all those years of pent up jealousy and anger had finally drained out of her system.

Koza remained on the floor for most of the night, her knees curled up to her chest while her head rested against the boarding of the bed. She kept dozing off and snapping back awake, repeating that cycle for two hours. She hadn’t even changed out of her dress, though she found she had no energy to do so. The moon was still high in the sky when Koza’s door creaked open as light footsteps trodded inside.

“Koza? ...Are you on the floor?” Huvanni whispered not all too quietly, staring down at the dark figure of her friend. Koza stretched out her legs, which had grown stiff and cramped from the uncomfortable position.

“Looks that way, yes.” She replied, looking up at her. Huvanni was wearing a long light blue nightgown that flowed around her thin figure like silk. Uvi probably lent it to her while she stayed with them. “What are you doing up so late?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I was so worried about you. I know you probably don’t want to talk about what happened, but I just wanted to make sure you’re alright.” Huvanni urged, sitting down across from her.

“That’s just how Father acts. It’s nothing I’m not used to.” Koza said with a shrug.

“That’s terrible. Nobody should be ‘used’ to treatment like that. Your father has no right to make you feel unwanted.” 

“Yeah, well, as much as I’d like things to change, the old man’s stuck in his ways. Most days he doesn’t even acknowledge me, so I guess that’s better somehow. Ojin came up earlier to try and ‘make peace,’ but he didn’t actually want to help, just make it seem like he was.” Koza scoffed, rubbing her arms. She thought for a moment then continued. “He has a crush on you, you know that, right?” Huvanni laughed loudly, then quickly covered her mouth.

“How could I not? I don’t mean to be rude, but he makes it… a little _ too _ obvious, you know?”

“Oh yeah?” Koza asked, shifting her legs around to regain feeling in them. 

“I mean, he looks at me a lot throughout the day.  _ Especially _ at dinner, and if I happen to return the favor he looks away again. If he catches me alone he talks about how rich and powerful he’s going to be someday, and you should see how red his face gets.” Huvanni giggled. 

“You should go out with him to a restaurant. Then you’d get to see him flaunt his money around and order the most expensive thing on the menu, even if he doesn’t like it.” Koza grinned wildly.

“Maybe I’ll do it just to get him off my back. ...Ojin’s sweet, he really is-”

“Not true.”

“-But I just don’t really like him in that way, you know?” Huvanni smiled sadly. Koza inhaled.

“Is there anyone you…  _ do  _ like?” Koza timidly asked. Huvanni tapped her finger against her chin.

“Recently? Uh, no I don’t think so. The last time I remember having a crush was when I was ten, though. Boy, I was completely head-over-heels, it was so embarrassing.” Huvanni laughed. Koza smiled.

“Tell me about it.” She insisted.

“Jeez, alright, if you wanna hear that boring stuff. Well, we were the same age, so both ten at the time. We shared fruit together, prayed right next to each other, and always made sure to pick flowers together. I thought she was the sweetest, kindest, most amazing person I had ever met. I ended up growing out of it, but I went mad for like, a good month.”

“Wow, that sounds… wait, she?” Koza asked, a bit alarmed. Had she misheard her? Huvanni smiled a bit nervously.

“Surprise. I like girls! And guys. Honestly, I like everyone. Well, maybe not everyone in  _ that  _ way, but I have held hands with both males and females throughout my life. Scandalous, isn’t it?” Koza’s mouth hung agape and her heart began to pound. Huvanni…  _ did _ like girls? So did that mean… she actually had the slimmest of a chance?

“N-no! Not at all. I’m totally okay with it,” Koza said, then froze. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it, I mean you can like whoever you want to. At least I think so. A lot of people around her don’t but I do.” Koza stammered over her words so quickly she barely even understood herself. Huvanni watched her stumble with an amused expression.

“Thanks for the seal of approval,” she laughed. “Actually. I’m glad you won’t treat me any differently. The Nuns raised us to be open and expressive and that it didn’t matter who we loved, as long as we loved with every bit of ourselves. Things are… quite different here.”

“Tell me about it..” Koza muttered. 

“Well, if you’re doing okay, I’ll leave you to your wallowing. Good night, Koza.” Huvanni said and stood up, stretching out her arms.

“Good night.” Koza bid and watched as the blue silk ghost weightlessly departed out of her room and into the dark.


	11. Confession

The talk she had last night with Huvanni had created a new sense of hope within Koza, a sense that was causing her to act incredibly foolish.    
If Huvanni  _ did _ in fact like girls, then was there really the tiniest chance that the two of them might... Koza's stomach churned at the thought. She had finally come to terms with her nefarious feelings regarding a person of the same sex, but even just imagining the two of them holding hands or sharing a kiss under the moonlight… It made her spiral within the chasms of her own mind. 

Nevertheless, Koza wanted to tell her. She just couldn’t keep these emotions bottled up for any longer, forcing herself to act like everything was fine and normal whenever Huvanni entered the room. Even though she was certain the end result would not be too happy, she still wanted to tell her. She wanted to take that chance, even if it completely ruined the friendship they had built from the dirt… Koza tried not to think about that last possibility. 

The following morning, Koza jumped awake to Uvi’s voice. Koza had been anxiously waiting for the woman to come by; she desperately needed advice, and it wasn’t like there was anyone else she could ask.

"Hey, Uvi? Do you remember what I told you yesterday? About that... um, that boy? I think... I think you were right. I want to tell him I like him." Koza had said, her entire face flushed, except not with fever this time around. Uvi's entire face beamed with delight.

"Oh, Koza, that’s wonderful! I’m so glad you feel brave enough to do so. There’s nothing more pure than young love.” She sighed dreamily. Koza tried to avoid looking at her directly. Not in this case, she thought miserably.

“Um, do you have any… advice? I’ve never done anything like this before. I don’t even know where to begin.” Koza said shyly. Uvi smiled at her sympathetically. 

“Unfortunately, I don’t have much. The last time I ever told a boy how I felt about him, I was thirty years younger and fifty pounds lighter,” She chuckled at her joke. “But I suppose if I could leave you with anything, be confident. I know that’s a bit obvious, but I mean it. You need to feel confident in yourself and your feelings, just express from the heart. Don’t let them smell your fear, as I always say.”

“When have you ever said that?”

“I… don’t let your nerves control you, is what I’m trying to say.” Uvi laughed. Talking with Uvi never failed to make Koza feel better about a situation; the woman was always so caring and jovial, it was hard  _ not _ to feel at ease whenever she opened her mouth. Today, though, Koza somewhat wished that she had asked for comfort rather than practical advice. 

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about, dear,” Uvi smiled. “You’re a beautiful and kind young lady. That boy would be an utter fool to reject you.”

“Thanks, Uvi. That really means a lot.” Koza said, sincerely meaning every word.

“Always happy to help. Now get a move on before you’re late. You don’t want to miss out on two days of school, now do you?” Uvi teased and exited the room, leaving the door open a crack. Koza took a moment before willing herself to get up and get ready, taking care to make herself look extra nice today.

She descended down into the general area and found Huvanni and Ojin already sitting and ready. As well, Koza spotted with irritation, Ojin had moved from his normal spot so he could sit directly next to Huvanni and was chatting her ear off. She looked quite bored, to Koza’s relief and amusement.

“Koza! You’re up!” Huvanni sparked, happy to be free of Ojin’s ceaseless jabber if only for a moment.

“Yeah, sorry I took so long. My hair was not cooperating,” Koza made up, looking toward Ojin. “You’re in my seat.”

“There’s no assigned seating. I can sit wherever I want.” Ojin replied roughly, clearly still bitter from the night before. Koza rolled her eyes at Huvanni, who held back a snicker. Koza begrudgingly took Ojin’s old seat and started on her breakfast, all the while Ojin continued his spiel about the economy, or whatever he was even talking about.

“And it’s really quite fascinating, when you compare the numbers from even places such as Omashu or what’s left of Yokoya, they really can’t compare with-”

“Hey, Huvanni?” Koza said, not caring that she was interrupting Ojin for the second time. Huvanni looked delighted at another escape.

“Yes, Koza?”

“I have something I want to talk to you about privately. Do you want to walk home from school today?” Koza said, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Ojin glared at her angrily, but Huvanni grinned.

“That sounds lovely. I’d love to walk home with you.”

“You shouldn’t be keeping secrets, you know. It’s one of the marks of a dishonorable soldier.” Ojin said smugly, picking at what was left of his rice.

“Oh, like how you were keeping that whole apprenticeship? That kind of secret?” Koza shot back. 

“...That’s different!” Ojin retorted. 

“Yeah? How so?”

“Children, why do I hear arguing? You two shouldn’t be at each other’s throats this early in the morning.” Shio Kan stepped out from inside the kitchen, looking quite dapper in flowing black fabric. Though his appearance was divine, his eyes were filled with worry.

“Sorry, Father.” Both Koza and Ojin instinctively replied. They stared hard at each other. 

“Very good. I know things are… a tad tense from last night,” Shio continued, trying not to look at Koza directly. “But I think with you two getting ready to go off into the world soon and make something of yourselves, we should all begin acting like more of a family. We’ve all been so isolated from each other, especially you two.”

“Where is this coming from? You’re usually the one who rejects the idea of us being affectionate.” Koza said crossly. Shio held a straight face.

“A man can change his mind, can’t he?” He asked accusingly. Koza had no retort for that. “I’d like you two to brainstorm something we can all enjoy together, including your mother. Then we can discuss the ideas tonight at dinner. Does that sound reasonable?”

“Yes, Father.” Ojin said obediently. Koza, however, remained unconvinced.

“You’re going to let us talk during dinner? Spirits, did something happen to you last night?” Koza tutted. 

“I figured the rule could be bent. Just this once. I’d think you would be happy that I’m trying to be more inclusive, Koza, considering your little… outburst last night?” Shio said idly. Six pairs of eyes turned to stare at her.

“I just… Thank you, Father. I appreciate your generosity.” Koza decided that this battle wasn’t worth fighting anymore. Shio’s rigid stance relaxed, if only for a second.

“Very good. Well, then, I suppose you three should get going. Having you both be late would be bad enough, but I certainly don’t want Huvanni missing out on her studies. A merchant in training always needs their education, after all.” Shio stated.

“Er, thanks.” Huvanni said oddly, not sure how to respond. Her and Ojin both grabbed their bags and headed towards the door. Koza, remembering she hadn’t even started on her breakfast yet, wolfed down the sausage and rice as fast as she could and followed after them.

“So, what is it you want to talk to me about, hm?” Huvanni whispered teasingly as the three of them waited for the carriage to pull around. Koza, who up until that point almost forgot her original objective, felt her entire face flush.

“Uh, guess you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?” Koza retorted back, hoping her face wasn’t noticeably red.

“But that’s no fun! Can’t you just tell me now? Please?” Huvanni begged.

“Nope. Gotta wait until later. Sorry, Vanni.”

“Boo, you stink.” Huvanni groaned, sticking her tongue out. Koza grinned.

“Ladies, if you’re done gossiping, can we actually go now?” Ojin huffed. Neither of them had even realized the carriage had already pulled up until Ojin acknowledged it.

“Right, sorry.” Huvanni said, shooting Koza a wide, mischievous grin and climbed into the carriage. Ojin went inside before Koza had the chance to, quickly taking the seat next to Huvanni.

“You’re really just not even bothering to hide it, are you?” Koza scoffed as she took the seat across.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ojin demanded, quick to irritate.

“Nothing, nothing…”

The ride to the academy was a bit more awkward than it had been in previous days, with Ojin attempting to engage Huvanni in more political conversation and her trying her best to be polite. It was almost painful to watch the discourse. However, Koza’s mind was elsewhere, thinking of different things.

She had already promised herself that she would tell Huvanni how she felt on their walk today, that was definite. But her mind continued to speed through every horrible outcome that could occur. The dramatic daydreams- such as Huvanni laughing at her or criticizing her- were quickly shut down due to their sheer absurdity.    
But one possibility still lingered in Koza’s brain: The chance that Huvanni would say she doesn’t feel the same, and that they should just remain friends. Though it was gentler than the rest of the wild thoughts Koza was cooking up, it somehow hurt the most. Perhaps it was because it was the most likely to actually happen.

Koza didn’t remember leaving the carriage and heading into her classes. She didn’t remember sitting there and taking notes about whatever the teachers were saying, or even what Sifu was shouting about during Fire Bending lessons. The entire day was a complete blur, a melted-together combination of colors and distant voices. The day was going by faster than Koza had anticipated or wanted, and before she even had a sliver of time to decide what she was going to say to Huvanni, the school day was over.

The crowd of students eager to get home after the difficult day pushed and shoved Koza all the way to the courtyard, her legs now feeling as if they were the heaviest material on Earth. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears, and were her palms sweating? That didn’t happen to Fire Benders!  _ Get it together, Koza, or you’ll ruin this before you even start! _

“Koza?” Huvanni’s sudden appearance behind her frightened her so much that her balance was disturbed, and she found herself laying flat on her back like a helpless turtle-duck. A few people nearby laughed at her misfortune. Huvanni, though, reached out a hand to help her up.

“A bit jumpy?” She lightly teased as Koza rose back onto her feet.

“Maybe just a little…!”

“If you didn’t break your neck, you ready to go? I’m glad you recommended walking back, those carriage rides really cramp your legs. I don’t understand how you rich people manage to ride in them every day.” Huvanni sighed, doing a few quick lunges to drive the point.

“Didn’t you use to ride on a giant monstrous bison every day?” Koza reiterated. She quickly froze, her eyes bulging. Crap, why did she have to go and mention Noll? Thinking about the poor thing never failed to bring Huvanni to tears. Now Koza had made her upset right before she was planning on confessing to her, there was no way she’d-

“Touche. But bison are way less restrictive than carriages. At least we can get up and move around. Air is the element of freedom, I need to be free!” Huvanni raised both her arms high into the sky in a stretch. Koza was able to relax again. She really needed to get her overthinking in check…

“Hey, are you okay? You look like you’re gonna puke.” Huvanni said suddenly, bringing her arms back down. Koza swallowed. So it was obvious…

“Um… I’ll explain. Let’s just get going.” Koza said nervously, pushing through the crowd of awaiting students so they could get out as quickly as possible. Huvanni tagged along closely, looking at Koza with a new sense of concern. Koza attempted not to meet her gaze, guilt already creeping inside her for making Huvanni worry.

They left the school grounds (maneuvering expertly to not get trampled by carriages and ostrich-horses) and trod down the familiar stretch of land that led from the main city back to home. The two girls walked silently for the first minute or two as Koza struggled to find her voice.

“So? You wanted to talk?” Huvanni encouraged.

“Huh? Oh, right. So… how are… er, how are you enjoying the Fire Nation so far?” Koza asked tensely. Huvanni laughed loudly but quickly composed herself.

“Great, nothing beats going to school to learn about the Nation that killed my people, then come home to a boy who doesn’t seem to take a hint.” She chortled. Koza’s guilt returned in full force. “I’m just kidding. It’s actually really nice here. Hot, obviously, but the architecture and landscape is beautiful. And some of the people are actually pretty great.” She smiled. Koza felt her face flush again. Damnit, this was starting to get annoying.

“Vanni, I think-”

“When did you start calling me that?” Koza turned her head and furrowed her eyebrows.

“What?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just wondering. When did you start calling me ‘Vanni?’” Huvanni asked with a growing smile. She actually did have a point; Koza had barely realized the nickname she had given to the Air Bender. It felt just as natural to say as her full name.

“I think it was a bit after your second breakdown, if I’m remembering correctly.” Koza replied curtly. Huvanni laughed.

“Sounds about right.”

“Have you been feeling better about that? About any of this?” Koza decided to change the subject matter.

“A bit. I’m not exactly over the whole thing, but… I think I’m starting to learn how to live past it.” Huvanni decided.

“Well, that’s good. I think. And nobody’s gotten suspicious of you, have they?”

“Not that I know of. To think, my past heartache and misfortune ended up actually helping me today.”

“What do you mean?”

“See, as an Air Bender, we spend our entire childhood learning from the Nuns- or Monks, if you’re from the North or South temple- all the current known techniques of Air Bending. That includes physical, mental, _ and _ spiritual training all day every day. Other Nations call us disciplined for a reason. Anyway, when an Air Bender is able to master all 36 forms and techniques of the art, then they are considered a master. And when they’re given the title of master, that’s when they get their tattoos.”

“Tattoos?” Koza asked with astonishment, imagining a crude carving of an open-mouthed snake on Huvanni’s arm.

“Not what you’re thinking of,” Huvanni interjected, reading Koza’s mind. “See, Air Bending originates from the Sky Bison. We learned it from them. And, once someone masters Air Bending in its full form, they give themselves the markings of that of a Sky Bison to honor the achievement, as well as showing respect to the ones who taught us originally. Arrows.” 

At the mention of what shape the tattoos were, Koza suddenly remembered seeing an image of an ancient Air Bending monk in a textbook years ago. Now that the image had returned to her, she could see that, indeed, the old man had a blue arrow pointing down on his forehead. At the time, Koza had thought it was just a very odd personal choice. She understood now that it was actually the mark of great achievement and spirituality.

“I… failed the exam. Twice, actually,” Huvanni continued, now looking somewhat embarrassed. “I got 35 out of 36. All the girls my age got their arrows. I was the only one who didn’t. I was supposed to try again on the night of the new moon, you know prove that I had finally mastered that last technique and wasn’t skimping on the other 35. But… that didn’t happen, obviously.” Koza felt her heart twinge with sympathy. “But hey, look how things ended up turning out! If I did end up getting those tattoos, it would’ve been a big challenge hiding them from everyone else, right?”

“Maybe. I’m sure you could’ve just wrapped a belt around your forehead or something.” Koza replied.

“Maybe. Guess it’s good for both of us I ended up failing, huh?” Huvanni mumbled, the smile plastered on her face a bit more strained.

“Hey. Don’t think for a second that you’re anything less than a great Bender just because you struggled. I mean, you mastered 35 techniques and you’re only 16! That’s insanely impressive, Vanni! I wish you could see yourself in the way I see you.” 

“...And how is that?” Huvanni said in a near whisper. 

“I see a girl who is full of laughter and generosity, a beautiful old soul who knows just how important morality is. I see a girl who has gone through so much, and yet somehow manages to still smile every day. So full of talent, kindness, and wisdom, I almost can’t believe I managed to get through an entire day without having her around.” Koza could barely stop the words. Everything she had wanted to tell Huvanni from the moment they met came flooding out all at once. 

“You’ve helped me so much, even though I was the one who was supposed to be helping you. Because you’re selfless, and you care about me in a way no one ever has. And I want to care about you and be there for you. Because I love… you…” The last word of the ramble faltered as Koza came back to reality of what she was saying. That was definitely _ not  _ how she had planned on it going, but at least it was out in the open now. Huvanni stared with a puzzled look, although to Koza’s relief she didn’t seem upset or outraged.

“You… love me?” Huvanni repeated. Koza took a deep inhale, willing herself to go on.

“I… do. And I know, I know it’s wrong. I shouldn’t be attracted to another girl, especially when we’re supposed to be enemies, but-” she was cut off as Huvanni stepped forwards and pressed her lips into Koza’s. It was nothing more than a gentle peck, but it was soft and sweet. Koza could feel Huvanni’s breath against hers, the two of their spirits seemingly intertwined in that one moment that lasted centuries.   
When Huvanni stepped back again, Koza’s head was positively spinning. She tried to form coherent sentences as Huvanni watched her with amusement.

“You talk too much.” She teased the Fire Bender.

“You… How? Why?” Koza garbled. Huvanni snorted.

“How? I put my lips against yours, that’s usually how that works. And why? Because I wanted to.”

“You… you wanted to?” Koza almost couldn’t believe it.

“Yeah, I did. Because I like you too, pea brain.” Huvanni grinned, her cheeks turning a light pink. Koza wasn’t sure if she was hallucinating or not.

“You… did? Or, you do? For how long?” Koza was practically foaming at the mouth by this point.

“I think around the same time you started,” Huvanni said with a wicked smile. “I gotta say, if you and Ojin have one thing in common, it’s that you both are terrible at hiding your feelings for someone.”

“So, wait, you knew? You knew I liked you, and you liked me back… Why didn’t you say anything?” Koza cried.

“Because it’s funny seeing a big bad Fire Bender turn into a tomato,” Huvanni teased, brushing her gentle hand against Koza’s cheek. “But also because I know how things are in the Fire Nation. Love was more accepted in the Air Temples than it is here. No one cared about the sex or identity of the person you loved. I didn’t want us to form a relationship until  _ you _ were okay with it. So I waited for you.” Without even thinking about it, Koza’s hands took hold of Huvanni’s waist and pulled her in close so that they were near inches apart. They looked into each other’s eyes, exchanging a plethora of unspoken words. 

“Do you really want to do this?” Koza whispered.

“I do. You’re just as wonderful as you think I am. Noble, considerate, brave, honorable, strong. Not to mention, sexy.” Huvanni winked. Koza rolled her eyes.

“This will make things twice as hard for us.”

“I know.”

“We’re both dead if we’re found out.”

“I know.”

“Do you even care at all?” Koza asked slyly. Huvanni pressed her forehead against Koza’s, staring deeply into her eyes.

“If it means I get to love you? Then no, I don’t.”


	12. A Proposal

They could’ve stood there for hours. Weeks. Maybe even years, and Koza wouldn’t have cared either way. Every moment that Huvanni remained in her arms, every single second their lips pressed against each other was a moment in time that Koza wished would last for an eternity. Nothing made her happier or feel more alive than that moment they shared together, standing in the streets away from judgement or worries; and holding onto each other like their lives depended on it.

Koza would’ve been more than happy to stay like that for the rest of time. There was nothing- no past, present, or future that she could’ve wanted more than  _ this _ . It truly was bliss.   
But they couldn’t last forever, and eventually Huvanni pulled her lips away from Koza’s, smiling that dopey grin she was ever so talented at making.

“We should probably start heading home now, shouldn’t we?” She asked as more of a suggestion than a proper question. Koza resisted the urge to pull Huvanni back into the confinement of a tight embrace, to prevent them from going back to that place.

“They won’t miss us...” Koza murmured.

“It’s going to get dark soon.”

“My fire can show the way,” Koza urged, taking another step to bring her face up close to her love. “Stay. Stay with me.”

“I’ll always stay with you. But we’ll be caught if we keep making out in a public area like this.” Huvanni reminded her, failing to keep herself from snickering. She caressed Koza’s cheek with a gentle hand, clearly picking up on the other girl’s anxieties. “We have all the time in the world to spend together. We don’t have to spend a hundred years tonight.”

“I know… I just.. I just want to stay in this moment. With no one but us.” Koza said, feeling rather guilty that she was letting her emotions run so wild. Then again, she was beginning to suspect that perhaps Fire Nation values were starting to dissipate from her regime. 

“You’re sweet. ...But I’m starving.” Huvanni said, her grin somehow growing even wider. Koza rolled her eyes.

“Fine, let’s get home. Way to ruin a moment, Van.” Koza teased, taking a hold of the Air Bender’s hand and continuing on their way.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you,” Huvanni said, suddenly leaning in close. “You won’t have to sleep alone tonight, yeah?” 

Koza’s face burned cherry-red up until they reached her front steps. They quickly ceased their hand-holding before pushing open the door that Uvi had helpfully left unlocked. Despite the fact that they had arrived only about twenty minutes later than Ojin, the rest of Koza’s family was already seated at the table and halfway through their meal.

“Ah, Huvanni. Koza. Ojin had mentioned that you two decided to walk home?” Shio asked idly.

“Yes, sir. It was a beautiful day, and I wanted to see what the other parts of Ki Lo looked like. Koza helpfully offered to escort me.” Huvanni was quick to answer, saving Koza from having to. She beamed at the Air Bender with thankfulness. Shio Kan’s eyebrow twitched, though his face made no change of emotion.

“I see. Well, come and eat before the food gets cold.” He instructed. Huvanni moved towards the table and spotted Ojin seated firmly in Koza’s spot, exactly as he had that morning. Huvnani walked in the opposite direction and took the free seat on Koza’s left. Koza smiled gratuitously, and- before she could help herself- stole a quick glance over at Ojin. He had a mixture of outrage and betrayal on his face, staring with mouth agape at the both of them. Because it should’ve been  _ impossible _ for his beloved to choose his pesky little sister over  _ him.  _ Koza managed to hide her laughter by masking it as a cough.

Dinner tonight was especially good- Uvi really outdid herself with a delicious vegetable stir fry. Koza didn’t even mind the silence tonight; she was far too happy to care.    
Her and Huvanni were together. Though they started out as enemies, they had somehow transcended every rule put in place by their forefathers and fallen for each other. And, though Koza knew that this was a crime worthy of treason, she couldn’t care any less about what Fire Lord Sozin thought about her. Sitting there secretly holding hands underneath the table, Koza knew that there would never be an army big enough to tear her apart from Huvanni.

“So, children, how was school today? Did anything of interest happen?” Shio asked once he had finished eating and was now daintily dabing the corners of his mouth with a napkin. Koza, whose mouth was currently filled with parsnips, looked towards Ojin to answer. 

“Nothing too much of interest, I’m afraid. We’re still just going over the Southern Tribal Wars in class. Although, today Sifu Kolak said that my Fire Bending forms were utterly perfect, some of the best he’s ever seen.” He boasted, looking towards Huvanni for approval. However, she was focused on tearing off the charred skin on her peppers, hardly paying attention to the conversation.

“Very good, Ojin. You’re going to bring great honor to this family some day.” Shio complimented, which made Ojin beam with delight. Guess he was over the whole “equal treatment” thing, Koza thought while biting her tongue. 

“Had there been any doubt about that, dear?” Fulay- who Koza had honestly forgotten was even there- said with a thin smile. For some reason, though, it seemed almost… bitter. “Ojin’s our only son. Of  _ course _ he’d be successful.” Shio stared hard at his wife, the two of them sharing words that no one else could hear. Koza glanced between her parents, puzzled by the sudden tension.

“Anyway, I know that exams are coming up soon,” Shio’s return to reality broke through the discomfort. “I expect to see very high marks. From  _ both _ of you. Nothing less than the best, right?” He said, finally acknowledging his daughter. 

“I’m insulted that you’re insinuating I’d ever be anything less than the best.” Koza responded dryly, bringing her own amber eyes up to his own. Shio looked momentarily taken aback by her sudden change in demeanour, but quickly regained his structure.

“I’m not insinuating anything. You were raised to strive for greatness, not mediocracy. It’s expected of you to not be anything less than great.” 

“Have I not shown greatness, Father? I’ve been top of all of my classes for nearly my entire life. I’ve received awards and ceremonies for my achievements, and yet I don’t get anywhere near the recognition that Ojin gets for the exact same thing. I’d really like to know, Father, why is that?” Koza spat out before she could stop herself. It seemed that alongside her new-found happiness with Huvanni, she had somehow uncovered new-found confidence; long forgotten until this point.

Her family all went silent at her words, the air once again thick with tension. Ojin actually looked somewhat impressed by her words. Fulay and Shio, however, were a mixture of irritated and uncomfortable.

“Koza, don’t make up stories,” Shio said flatly. “Your  _ mother _ and I love you both equally.”

“That’s rich. Really rich, actually,” Koza continued pushing, refusing to back down. “When was the last time you told me you were proud of me? Or better yet, when was the last time you said you  _ loved _ me?” The question was met with silence. Shio looked like he had just been slapped in the face. Fulay’s eyebrow twitched and she took a calm sip of her drink.

“She does have a point. Even I can’t remember the last time you said those things to her.” She said nonchalantly. Shio Kan temporarily forgot about his daughter to put his fury onto his wife.

“Don’t you dare blame this all on me. You’re just as much at fault here as I am. More so, you’re always home!” He shouted. “When was the last time _ you _ said anything to her?”

“Oh give me a break, Shio. I told you exactly how I was going to act when we made the agreement. Don’t get mad at me because I haven’t changed like you wanted me to.” Fulay shot back, her usual flaunty and feathery behavior completely forgotten, now replaced by a tense and angry woman that Koza had never seen before.

“Agreement? What ‘agreement?’” Koza demanded. She looked over towards Ojin and was somewhat relieved to see he was just as confused as she was. Shio’s face fell and his scarred fingers grasped the tablecloth. 

“Fulay. You should stop talking  _ right now. _ We love both of our children equally, don’t we?” He asked through a clenched jaw, urging his wife to make things right. Some of Koza’s confidence seemed to have somehow rubbed off on her mother, though, and Fulay rolled her eyes with indifference.

“Why do you even insist on doing this anymore? There’s no point, Shio! They’re both adults, they deserve to know!” 

“Know what? What’re you hiding?” Koza shouted. Below the table, Huvanni squeezed her hand tightly. Koza took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

“Father? What’s going on? What is Mother talking about?” Ojin stared with bewildered eyes. Shio looked all around at his family like a caged animal; he was trapped.

“Nothing. There’s nothing that you two need to be involved with or concerned about,” Shio shot back, trying to regain his demeanour. “Huvanni, please forgive us for this unacceptable behavior. It seems that my wife and daughter need a lesson in manners.” He growled with blazing eyes.    
His absolute fury had completely erased Koza’s high, and she found herself quickly backing down from her own rage. For a moment, she saw herself as a child again- terrified of her father’s looming wrath. Even with Huvanni on her side, she just couldn’t face him head on.

“I-it’s fine, please don’t mind me. You all clearly have a lot on your mind. Perhaps it would be useful to be open and honest with each other? Build up trust again?” Huvanni suggested. Shio blinked as if she had just started speaking another language.

“...Koza, Ojin, please go into your rooms. I need to have a  _ talk _ with your mother.” Shio Kan drawled slowly, his even tone barely masking the absolute fury he was feeling. Koza didn’t need to be told twice.

“Yes, Father.” She said obediently, taking her hand back from Huvanni’s grip and pushing herself away from the table with shaking hands.

“Actually, Mother, Father, may I speak to you first? There’s something extremely important I need to discuss with you both.” Ojin said nervously, sitting up straight in his chair and rapping his fingers against the table.

“Fine, Ojin, but make it quick.” Fulay said tensely, glaring at her husband. On a normal day, Koza would be exceedingly curious of what Ojin needed to talk to their parents about in private, perhaps even linger around in order to eavesdrop. However, all she wanted to do in that moment was flee into the safety of her room like a terrified kangaroo-mouse. Huvanni followed up after her, shutting the door behind her to give them privacy. Koza nearly collapsed onto her bed, her heart positively pounding inside her chest. The two girls stood there in utter stillness, the only reasonable sounds echoing from the murmured words being shared below them.

“...What in the Spirit's name was that all about?” Huvanni finally asked. Koza lifted her head up to make eye contact with the wall.

“Me actually calling out my dad on his bull-horse crap, or the ominous family secret that we apparently have?”

“Both.” Koza took a moment to think before she answered.

“Well, for the latter one, I have just as many answers as you do,” Koza said weakly. “I mean, when I asked why they like Ojin so much better than me I wasn’t actually expecting there to be an _ answer _ . But now I know there’s actually a reason for it all. Whatever the reason my parents treat me the way they do, they’re hiding it from me.”

“Are you going to try and figure it out?” Asked Huvanni, leaning against the wall.

“Are you kidding? Of course I am. I’ve asked myself for  _ years _ what I could’ve done better to earn my parents’ respect and affection. If I figure out what that agreement was about, then maybe I can finally feel like I’m appreciated around here.” Koza droned.

“Why would you want their respect and affection? I almost would say it’s not worth your time,” Huvanni said softly, moving towards her girlfriend. “You shouldn’t have to fight and beg for your own parents to love you. That should be a given on their part. Whatever dirty secret they’re keeping from you and Ojin, it should have nothing to do with how they treat you as their child.” She said gently, bringing her forehead against Koza’s. Koza closed her eyes and listened to Huvanni’s breathing, subconsciously matching it to her own.

“Maybe you’re right…” Koza finally admitted as she opened her eyes again. 

“I usually am.” Huvanni joked. She stroked her fingers through the minimal bit of hair that wasn’t tied back in a bun. “I have to say though, you standing up to Shio like that was pretty cool.”

“You think?” Koza asked, feeling her cheeks go warm. 

“Oh definitely. Didn’t know Miss Fire Bender could be so… feisty. It was pretty hot, pun intended.” 

“Gross, you need to stop with the bedroom talk,” Koza giggled, playfully pushing Huvanni away. “Don’t you Nuns make vows of abstinence or something?”

“The more up-tight ones, yeah,” Huvanni chuckled. “But for the most part, the Nuns taught us that, as long as we were careful, it was fully acceptable to explore our bodies and-”

“Okay, okay, I don’t need the details, Vanni,” Koza snorted, lifting herself into the bed on her back. Huvanni fell back besides her, the two girls staring up at the ceiling. 

“You know, if you told me a year ago that this was where I’d be in my life, I don’t think I would believe you.” Koza spoke her thoughts out loud. Huvanni moved her arm underneath Koza’s back to pull her closer.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, not at all. Sometimes the most unexpected outcomes end up being the best.” 

“That’s a very wise observation.” Huvanni noted, stroking Koza’s shoulder affectionately.

“Guess your annoying spirituality rubbed off on me,” Koza stated, pecking Huvanni on the cheek. “Maybe instead of joining the Army I’ll go off to be a Nun.”

“You’re joining the Army?” Huvanni asked suddenly, turning to face her. 

“Huh? Oh, no, not anymore. I had been planning on it, since it’s kind of the expected career for Fire Benders who aren’t key in politics or trade. But, obviously, there’s no way I’m supporting Sozin and his military anymore.” Koza said firmly. Huvanni relaxed again.

“That’s good. You worried me for a second there! I thought you were just going to up and leave me once you graduated from the Academy.” Though Huvanni was grinning, Koza could tell from the look in her eyes that the girl actually had been legitimately afraid. She supposed Huvanni couldn’t bear to lose another person she loved… Koza couldn’t blame her.

“Now why would I  _ ever _ want to leave you? After all the stress I put myself through to keep you safe, not to mention our new scandalous relationship. There’s no way I’d give that up without a fight.” Koza said. Huvanni’s grin changed right before her eyes, but not into a frown. It changed to a different type of smile, one not full of humor but of joy. A smile of love and appreciation.

Before Koza had time to react, Huvanni had her wrapped in such a tight platypus-bearhug that the wind was nearly knocked out of her. 

“Thank you for never giving up on me.” Huvanni whispered. Koza returned the hug, hiding her nose into Huvanni’s gentle shoulder. They remained in that position all through the night, keeping as close to each other as possible even as they slept. Koza’s recent history of struggling to sleep at night had finally been put to rest, sleeping soundly for the entirety of the night as she remained in Huvanni’s arms.

Her eyes crept open as a gentle beam of sunlight covered them both, alerting them that it was time to wake up. Koza’s entire body felt numb, but she couldn’t care any less; she was with Huvanni, and she was the happiest she had ever felt.    
Koza had meant to gently shift her arm to the right in order to avoid disturbing Huvanni- who even while she slept looked beautiful- but alas, even the tiniest movement stirred her.

“Good morning.” Huvanni mumbled sleepily and just barely opened her eyes. 

“Good morning,” Koza repeated. “It’s just sunrise. Don’t you have to go and pray?”

“You really pay attention, huh?” She asked happily. “But yeah, I do. Just give me a minute.” She yawned and slid off of the bed, clearly still half asleep. Koza watched as she slunk over to the window and knelt down, placing her fists together and bowing her head. Koza made an effort to remain motionless as to not disturb her prayer, simply watching with interest. She had never seen Air Bender prayer before, so she was rather intrigued with how it was done. Huvanni said nothing, but her ability to remain completely still for several minutes was very impressive. 

After she prayed for about twenty minutes, Huvanni stood back up so quickly that Koza jumped a little. She sat on the edge of the bed as Huvanni walked back over to her and draped her arms around her shoulders.

“Sorry, forgot to give you this earlier.” She apologised before giving her a sweet kiss. 

“You know it’s okay that we aren’t constantly making out, right? I don’t mind.” Koza joked once they broke apart again.

“I know. I just want to.” Huvanni smirked somewhat, running her fingers though Koza’s hair in the same way she did last night- only having a much easier time now that it was out of the bun.

“Ms Koza? Ms Huvanni? It’s time to get ready for school.” Uvi’s sudden appearance in the doorway took both of them by surprise, and Huvanni stepped back so quickly she nearly fell back.

“Hi, Uvi. Good morning.” Koza stated awkwardly, her face flushing. She glanced sideways to Huvanni and, for the first time, Huvanni’s face was bright red as well.

“I see you two are already awake, that’s wonderful,” Uvi chimed. “I’m so glad you’re both such good friends now. Well, hurry on now, no point in being late.” She began to hum a cheerful tune as she left the doorway and disappeared down the hall. Koza swallowed harshly, her legs reduced to paper.

“I don’t think she suspects anything,” Huvanni inhaled sharply.

“Hopefully not. But even if she did, she wouldn’t tell my parents. I know I can trust her.” Koza said, the heat from her face slowly fading. 

“You’re… not going to  _ tell  _ her, are you?”

“No, no. Of course not. I’m just saying, out of everyone in this house, Uvi is the one we could trust with our secrets.”

“I don’t doubt you on that one.” They both shared a look, silently debating on the same thing. The girls began to get dressed and ready for school, the Uvi scare quickly forgotten about as they discussed their plans for the day.

“We could go into town after school, tell Father you wanted to try some local cuisine?” Koza suggested, changing into a clean uniform.

“If that means getting my hands on any more of those custard tarts, I’m in. The ones Uvi made were so good.” Huvanni drooled.

“You know you can just ask her to make some more, right?” Koza giggled and opened the door to her bedroom.

“I mean, yeah, but I’d feel bad putting her through more work than she already does.” The two girls trotted down the stairs when Huvanni suddenly stopped in her tracks. Koza was about to ask her what was the matter when she saw what had made her stop.

Fulay, Shio Kan, and Ojin were all seated at the same side of the table- without any food in front of them, all staring towards the staircase. Were they waiting for them?

“Huvanni. Koza. Please have a seat, we have something very important we’d like to discuss.” Shio Kan said, a proud and somewhat menacing smile plastered on his face. Huvanni glanced back to Koza, raising an eyebrow. Koza shrugged. The two girls rather gingerly took the empty seats across from Koza’s family.

“Now then. Huvanni, you’ve adjusted to life in the Fire Nation incredibly well. Though I’ve known you for only a few days, I can already tell that you are enjoying your time here exceptionally.” Shio began.

“Uh, yes, Sir. Ki Lo is quite beautiful. I, um, really do love it here.” Huvanni replied, trying to upkeep her persona through her confusion.

“Of course, of course. And, not to mention, Fulay and Uvi have told me of your respect and kindness towards everyone in our house. You’ve even grown close with Koza, incredibly.” They both tensed. “What I’m trying to say is that you have grown fond of us, and we have grown very fond of you. Would you say that’s true?”

“Y-yes, that is true, Sir.” Koza stared at her Father, trying to somehow read his mind. Where was he going with this?

“Well, Huvanni, what if we could give you a way to stay in the Fire Nation?”

“Pardon? Stay in the Fire Nation? Permanently?”” Huvanni repeated, her eyes widening ever so slightly. “I… don’t understand.”

“Please, let me explain. I believe this is a truly wonderful opportunity for all parties involved, the chance to have a lifetime of prosperity and happiness.” Shio beamed. Both Fulay and Ojin seemed to be itching with glee, which unnerved Koza. “See, my dear boy, Ojin, has spoken nothing but the highest praise for you. He tells me of the educated discussions you have, the little moments you shared together in private. He’s incredibly fond of you, Huvanni. In fact, I would even say it’s love.”

“O-oh yes? How… nice.” Huvanni was beginning to sweat now. All the same, Koza felt her heartbeat begin to increase. Shio looked towards Ojin, signifying that it was his turn to speak. Ojin cleared his throat, looking at Huvanni with nervous excitement.

“Huvanni… Ever since you first entered this house, I knew that you were special. There was something about you, your intelligence, your kindness, your beauty… And there’s no doubt that there’s a connection between us. Huvanni… I want you to be my wife.”

“WHAT?!” Koza was the first to react, her eyes bulging. “Your-your  _ wife _ ? Are you asking to-to  _ marry _ her?”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking,” Ojin said, eyeing her with smug victory. “Think about it, it’ll bring nothing but benefits! I love Huvanni like no other, and I know she feels the same. So we marry and get to spend the rest of our lives together as a family. Huvanni gets to stay in the Fire Nation, which she just said that she loves. Plus, we’d be combining two wealthy families of Fire and Earth. We could form one of the most powerful connections anyone has ever seen! There’s absolutely no downside to any of this!”

“Not to mention, you get to become sisters-in-law with your best friend. Isn’t that just lovely, Koza?” Fulay smiled, her fake lovey tone making a guest appearance.

“Ojin told us of his idea last night, and I must say I personally could not have picked anyone better to marry my son,” Shio said, puffing his chest out. “You’re a wonderful young lady, Huvanni, and we’d love nothing more than to add you to our family.” Huvanni was positively horror-struck, sitting in paralyzed fear as Shio, Fulay, and Ojin all stared at her with expectant glee.

“So? What do you say?”


	13. Past and Future

Koza and Huvanni sat in complete and utter silence. Deafening, cruel silence. Koza felt like any remaining ounce of hope or joy had vanished from within her, leaving her as an empty husk of misery. Neither of them could even look at the other.   
Though the two girls were in the same room, it felt like they were in two completely different worlds. Void of ever finding each other. Koza couldn’t take the silence anymore. 

“How?” She finally asked, her voice filled with pain and fury. She couldn’t bring herself to face Huvanni, but she already knew the expression on the girl’s face.

“How what?” Huvanni asked in a timid, hopeless voice that made Koza’s heart shatter. Though she asked, they both knew she already knew the answer.

“How could you say yes?” 

After Shio Kan brought up the proposal of marriage, both Huvanni and Koza had been completely speechless. Unable to even comprehend the severity of the situation they had unknowingly walked into. Koza had thought Ojin’s feelings for Huvanni were nothing more than a schoolboy's crush; a flighty attraction that would fade over time. Never in a million years would she have expected it to get this far. They should’ve been more careful, handle the situation with grace so it didn’t get to this point. 

Koza had been racking her brain to try and think of an excuse that would even be remotely plausible. She was already betrothed, she had to move back to the Earth Kingdom,  _ anything. _ Fear, however, had completely paralyzed her. All she wanted to do was cry, to scream at Ojin that  _ he couldn’t take Huvanni from her _ . But before she could find her voice, Huvanni found it first.

“I would love nothing more than to marry you.” She had said with a hollow voice that wasn’t too unfamiliar with the way she talked on that first night she came to Ki Lo. Koza still couldn’t believe it, the words repeating over and over in her head.

“I panicked. I’m sorry, I couldn’t think of an excuse in time.” Huvanni was nearly whispering. Hot tears burned at the corners of Koza’s eyes, though she refused to cry. Not now.

“Well what are we supposed to do now? Now there’s no way to get out of this! There’s no possible excuse that we could come up with that would stop a wedding.” Koza shouted, her fury at the situation spilling out uncontrollably. Huvanni scowled.

“Do you not think I know that? What, you think I  _ want  _ this? You think I want to stay in this Spirit’s-forsaken city, married to some boy I don’t remotely have feelings for?” She shouted in return.

“You were a fool! You could’ve come up with any excuse in the book, but now you’re completely stuck, you idiot!”

“Oh, so I’m an idiot now, am I?” Huvanni stood up from her sitting position on Koza’s bed, marching right up until the two girls were face-to-face. “I didn’t see  _ you _ coming up with any brilliant ideas. All I saw was you sitting there with your mouth open like a fish!”

“I admit I froze, okay, but if you just slowed down and thought things over for once in your life we wouldn’t be here right now!” Koza continued. “You could’ve said anything instead of yes! Say that you needed to think it over! At least then we could’ve had time to come up with a plan together!” 

“Well there’s no point shouting about it now!” Huvanni roared. Koza’s mouth instinctively shut. Huvanni took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead. “Look, I get it. I screwed up. But fighting and yelling at each other isn’t going to fix this.”

“You’re right,” Koza admitted, exhaling deeply. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so angry. Especially not at you.”

“It’s okay. We’re in this together, always,” Huvanni spoke gently, wrapping her fingers gently around Koza’s. “...Should we head to school nowl? Try to think of ways to cordially break off my engagement when we get home?”

“Absolutely not. This is way more important than school.” Koza said firmly. She never thought she would be hearing those words come out of her mouth. “I’ll tell Uvi that… I don’t know, we’re coming with wedding ideas? Father wants nothing more than to keep you happy. He won’t force either of us to go if you insist on us staying back for the day.”

“Sounds good,” Huvanni sighed. “Spirits above, I can’t believe this is happening the  _ day _ after we confess our love to each other. One day of happiness, and now this. How about that luck, right?”

“I know…”

“Hey, we’ll think of something. Don’t worry,” Huvanni urged. “I always manage to weasel my way out of bad situations. I mean, I’m the lone survivor of a cultural genocide, aren’t I?”

“This is a little different than a life or death situation, Vanni. Getting away from my family’s grip is harder than you think… What do you think we should do now?” The question caused Huvanni to pause momentarily, running through different ideas in her head.

“We could… Oh! We could tell them my family doesn’t approve of me marrying Ojin, and that I need to return to the Earth Kingdom! That’d get them out of my hair.” She said eagerly. Koza, however, didn’t waver.

“That won’t work. Dad would never take such a massive rejection lying down. He’d probably head straight into the Earth Kingdom himself to have a meeting with your ‘parents.’ Plus, even with the non-existent chance that he does accept a no, that would mean we’d have to leave each other, probably for good.” Koza said with a frown.

“Oh, I didn’t think about that…'' More silence followed as the two girls pondered the conundrum. Koza had to admit, she was positively stumped. Years of constant exams, tests, and assignments completed, and yet no amount of studying helped her find an answer. The most important problem in her life, and she was stuck being utterly helpless. 

“What if I just tell them I changed my mind? People do that, right?” Huvanni asked again, her voice slowly being laced with despair. “I could just tell them I’m not ready to be married yet, and that I need time.”

“That  _ could  _ work, hypothetically…” Koza said slowly. “But chances are my parents would proceed to either never leave you alone in order to convince you, or they’d be so insulted that they’d just send you back to the Earth Kingdom by next morning.” Huvanni stared down at her feet. Slowly, droplets of tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

“Spirits, what am I going to do?” She whispered, rubbing her eye with her palm. “There’s no way out of this. I’m going to have to marry Ojin.”

“Come on, we can’t give up that easily!” Koza attempted to encourage, but she didn’t believe her own words. “There’s gotta be a solution. Something obvious that we just haven’t thought of yet. What if… What if you started acting crazy, make it so Ojin doesn’t want to marry you anymore? You know, eat rice with your hands or quack like a turtle-duck at noon.”

“They’d probably send me to an asylum if I did any of that.” Huvanni managed a weak chuckle as she attempted to wipe her wet face on her sleeve. Koza wanted to run up and squeeze her, assure her that everything would be okay and that they would find some way to stay together- but her legs had turned to lead.

“Ms Koza? Ms Huvanni? Master wants to- Ms Huvanni, whatever is the matter?” Uvi cried, dropping the basket of laundry she was holding and rushing into the room. Koza nearly jumped at her sudden appearance; for an older woman, Uvi really was good at sneaking up on people…

“Nothing, Uvi, I’m fine,” Huvanni sniffed, blinking her eyes to clear the tears. “It’s okay. Really.”

“I don’t…” Uvi trailed off, looking towards Koza. Although Koza wasn’t crying, her expression was grim and full of despair. It didn’t take a genius to figure out something was bothering her. “You both look like someone just died. What’s going on?”

“Nothing. It’s really fine, Uvi. We were just talking.” Koza attempted to wave her off, hoping she would surrender and leave them be. Uvi, however, surprised her and remained firm.

“Girls, I would appreciate it if you two would be honest with me,” she scolded. “I think I’m able to tell when something is upsetting you. Now, are you going to tell me what it is, or are you going to keep lying?” Huvanni and Koza shared a glance, the two girls silently asking the other what they should do. Koza knew how much Uvi respected Shio Kan; would she tell him everything if she knew?

“Uvi… It’s really important that you don’t tell a single soul about this. Especially not Father,” Koza surprised herself and Huvanni by stepping up to the task. “Please. He-he  _ can’t _ know about this. Do you promise not to tell anyone?” Uvi looked a bit bewildered by the request, but inhaled.

“You can trust me, Koza. I promise not to tell. Now, what’s gotten you poor things in such a tizzy?” She asked, sitting down on the bed. 

“I don’t want to marry Ojin.” Huvanni blurted out almost as soon as Uvi sat down. A quick bit of shame flashed on her face, but she continued. “Ojin is a perfectly wonderful man. He’s got money, intelligence, looks… Really, any girl would be lucky to be with him. But I just don’t feel that way about him. I don’t look at him and see a person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I don’t see someone that I want to be with every day, or someone that I want to start a family with. I just don’t love him.” 

Huvanni stared guiltily at the ground, unable to look at Uvi nor Koza. Koza honestly felt rather proud that Huvanni was able to get that all out into the open, but she bit her tongue while waiting for Uvi’s response. Uvi didn’t look overly upset, but she didn’t seem thrilled, either.

“Well… that’s unfortunate. The Master and Madame were really looking forward to having you in the family. As was I, I admit. I’ve grown rather fond of you these past couple of weeks,” Uvi spoke, then she sighed. “But the heart wants what it wants. It can’t be helped. But goodness, child, if you don’t want to marry Master Ojin, then why on Earth would you say yes?”

“I don’t know…” Huvanni mumbled. “Fulay and Shio just looked so… eager, and Ojin was nearly shaking with anticipation… I froze. I just couldn’t bring myself to say no to them…”

“Do you see the predicament now?” Koza asked. Uvi shook her head.

“Yes, I do. And I am well aware of the Master’s… temperament, so outright saying you changed your mind probably won’t do. Why don’t you say that you panicked and forgot that you’re already betrothed? Is there somebody you have in mind?” 

“...No.” Huvanni answered, but made the mistake of hesitating. And unfortunately for them, Uvi picked up on that.

“There is, isn’t there? Oh, you young girls and your crushes. Always so embarrassed about them,” Uvi tutted. “Just the same as when Koza wanted to tell that boy she liked him. How’d that go, by the way, dear?” 

“F-fine… We’re getting off topic, Uvi…”

“Yes, yes, my apologies. I’ve just never understood why having feelings for another person has to be this big secret. Back in the Water Tribe, we were never ashamed to admit when we loved another person. There were boys crafting little engagement-necklaces out of shells when we were six years old! But that’s besides the point. But your heart already belongs to someone?” Huvanni’s cheeks burned, but she tried to remain upright.

“I… do, yes. I am in love with someone else, but Ojin nor Shio Kan can know.” She said. However, she made a fatal error upon her admittance: She looked to Koza as she spoke.

“Oh, I see. It’s Koza, yes?” Uvi asked. “You two are together?” 

Neither Koza or Huvanni could have been sure what Uvi was going to say, but it certainly was not that. Both girls’ jaws dropped to the floor, their expressions morphing to wild panic as they attempted to spit out some form of coherent sentence. Uvi watched with mild concern as both girls essentially had strokes in front of her, babbling nonsense. Finally, Koza took a deep inhale and forced the words out of her mouth.

“How… did you know?”

“I only just realized right now. I know you and Huvanni were incredibly close, but I assumed you two were just friends. I guess I need to check my own biases, hm. But the way Huvanni looked at you just now when she was talking of her love… It was a look I recognized all too well.” 

“You aren’t… upset?” Koza asked in a whisper. Uvi looked rather offended.

“Upset? Now why on Earth would I be upset? You two clearly care about each other and are willing to head into strife together for the sake of your relationship. Of course, the Southern Water Tribe was a bit more accepting of who you could marry than the Fire Nation is,” she said with a wink. “But no. If you’re happy, Koza, then I’m happy.” Koza’s muscles all seemed to simultaneously relax at once, her legs turning into jelly with relief. They really were able to trust Uvi… She accepted them for who they were…

“But clearly the plan to tell Ojin I’m in love with another wouldn’t work,” Huvanni piped up. “I mean, I don’t even want to think about the repercussions that would come with us admitting that we’re together.”

“That’s true. My, this truly is a predicament, isn’t it? Unwillingly being engaged to your lover’s brother. This would make quite the thrilling novel…”

“We have no idea what to do,” Koza sighed. “We’ve gone through every possible idea, but nothing seems fool-proof. I don’t want to lose her, I can’t. I love her too much to see her unhappy with someone else.” Huvanni grabbed a hold of her hand, squeezing it tight. Koza appreciated the gesture, but it didn’t stop a single tear from dripping down her face.

“Sweetheart, please don’t cry. We can figure something out, there’s always a solution to a problem.” Uvi assured softly, standing up from the bed. She looked between the girls, shaking her head with pity. “Such a shame. Young love should be something happy and exciting, not… well, miserable.”

“Maybe marrying Ojin wouldn’t be so bad,” Huvanni mumbled suddenly. “At least Koza and I would get to see each other every day. And… and if he works as much as Shio does, I won’t have to see him all the time.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Koza said firmly. “You’re  _ not  _ marrying Ojin, not in this life or the next. We’re staying together, and that’s final.” Huvanni turned her head, a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she stared at the determined face of her girlfriend. 

“Ah, such a wonderful couple,” Uvi swooned. “Reminds me of my Turlik. You sound exactly like him, Koza.”

“Turlik? Was that your… uh, lover, I guess?” Asked Koza. Uvi nodded with a sad smile, memories of a thousand lifetimes crossing over her face.

“He was. My dear husband, Turlik. One of the Tribe’s best hunters, I’ll say that much. But you don’t want to hear about him.”

“No, we would love to. Please, go on.” Uvi looked down at her hands, fumbling her fingers before she spoke again.

“We were childhood friends, me and him. We were close; very close. And he’d always say the same thing, ‘when I get big, you’re gonna be my wife!’ Plenty of the little girls all had little crushes on Turlik, but he had his heart set on me. But I thought it was the most annoying thing on the Planet, and I assured him never in a million years would I marry him. That never stopped him, of course.

“Then, things changed as we grew older. We had less time for play and instead focused on work. Though we remained friends, Turlik stopped confessing his love for me. Now here’s the ironic twist, when I was about fifteen I started developing feelings for  _ him _ . I guess I realized just how much of a sweet, responsible, and kind man he really was when he grew into his boots. After years of rejecting him, I felt like an idiot, that’s for sure. But I didn’t want things to be awkward, so I just outright told him during a midnight walk together. He was shocked, completely, but then he started laughing and told me it took me long enough. We were married by the Spring.”

“You guys got married really quickly.” Koza observed.

“To be fair, Ojin asked for my hand after knowing me for less than three weeks.” Huvanni pointed out.

“It’s more common in the Water Tribes to be wed before eighteen. I’d recommend you two wait a few more years, though,” Uvi eyed them both, making them blush. “Anyway, our marriage was… wonderful, to say the least. With Turlik always on hunting duty, we didn’t get to see each other very often. But when he was home, it was the happiest I ever was. I love him, I loved him more than anything. Then… then…” 

“Then?” Koza asked, confused.

“Then six years later, our daughter was born. Kuna, we named her. After Turlik’s grandmother. The most darling little thing you’ve ever seen in your life. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.” Uvi’s hands were shaking. “She looked just like her father, oh but she had my mother’s eyes. I knew she would be a Water Bender, I could tell just by looking at her. Such loud lungs, too… You could hear her cries from a mile away. But Turlik was so overjoyed, he wanted nothing more in life than to be a father. He loved her so much…”

“What… what happened to Kuna?” Koza asked, although she had a feeling of where this story was going. Uvi struggled to speak.

“Kuna… We don’t know how it happened. She was fine one day, then just… It was in the middle of the night, while we were asleep. I couldn’t have known, I would’ve done something if I had-! ...We woke the next morning, and our girl was gone. Dead. The Tribe’s medics said it wasn’t our fault, that we had done everything right… But if we did, then why did our girl leave us?” Uvi sobbed, her voice cracking. Huvanni and Koza stared aghast at her, too horror-struck to even give condolences. In all her sixteen years of knowing Uvi, Koza had never once heard of this story. She didn’t even know that Uvi had a daughter; although, seeing how upset the memories were making her, she could understand why she didn’t talk about it much.

“Then… oh, the Spirits really had it out for me, they did. Turlik was so full of grief, he barely knew what to do with himself. We didn’t speak for days, all I could do was sit in Kuna’s room, trying to pretend like it was all a bad dream. Turlik eventually broke out of his stupor, but I could barely leave the house. I shouted at him, I said  _ how can you carry on like normal?  _ And he just said I needed to move on eventually, that I couldn’t honor her memory by shutting out the world. I was so mad at him, I said such horrible things. Well, I got my karma that night.

“There was an… an accident on the men’s fishing boat. A storm that none of them had seen coming. There were no Water Benders with them. Their boat was capsized and… I never saw Turlik again. Two months after our daughter died, and my last memory of my husband was me shouting at him. I could barely live with myself, with all the memories. So I packed up my things, and came to the Fire Nation.” 

An eerie silence followed after the conclusion of Uvi’s story, one that Koza could physically feel the weight of.

“Uvi… I’m so sorry.” Huvanni was the first one to say it. 

“If I haven’t heard those words before,” Uvi chuckled cynically, wiping her eyes. “It’s alright, dear. It was nearly forty years ago. I’ve learned to move on and forget the past.”

“But you shouldn’t have to forget the past. True, you shouldn’t let your sadness consume you, but that doesn’t mean you have to just repress the memories of what you’ve lost.” Koza urged. Uvi gace a pitiful smile.

“Easier said than done, I suppose. This was the first time I’ve talked about Kuna and Turlik since I left the Southern Water Tribe. I suppose that’s a start, hm? Well, I-I’m not so sure how my tales of woe will aid you in your predicament, but I hope you gained at least something from it.” She chuckled sadly. Koza slowly sat on the ground, the heaviness of Uvi’s tale still settling in.

“You really are the most noble person I know. You’ve gone through so much, and yet you still managed to be concerned about our situation.” Koza shook her head in disbelief.

“Because I care about you, Ms. Koza. I’ve raised you since you were a newborn! Madame Fulay was much more hands on with Ojin, but when you were first born- bless their hearts- Madame and Master were both so busy and exhausted, I ended up taking over primary care. Sometimes, as selfish as it is, I… I almost think of you like my own.” 

“It’s not selfish,” Koza said suddenly. “Sometimes… I think of you as a parent.” She and Uvi turned to each other, a new sense of understanding and love that Koza had never felt before filling her chest. “So… You don’t have to call me ‘Ms’ anymore. Just Koza from now on, please.”

“I’d like nothing more.” Uvi beamed, looking to the Fire Bender with great warmth.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” Huvanni spoke, doing so anyway. “But I think I actually  _ did _ get something out of that story, Uvi. Koza, what if you and I just run away?”

“...I’m sorry,  _ what? _ ”

“To the Earth Kingdom! You’ve said many times you don’t want to stay at home anymore, plus your future is unclear since you won’t join the army anymore. The plan was always for me to head to Ba Sing Se as soon as my leg healed. Why don’t you come with me? We can finally be in a place where we don’t have to worry about our relationship!” Huvanni was nearly shaking with excitement.

“N-now Huvanni, don’t you think that’s a bit rash? You can’t just run from your problems. It won’t-” Uvi began, but was cut off by Koza.

“I think that’s the best idea either of us have come up with.”

“What? Koza, please, think about this!” Uvi cried with alarm. “You two are still so young, you’ll be running into unknown territory with only the clothes on your backs! Ba Sing Se is so far, it’ll take you ages to get there. And what about your family? Will you really leave everything behind, just like that?”

“It’s not like they really care about me when I’m around. You’ve seen the way they treat me, Uvi. If anything, they’ll be glad to get rid of the burden.” Koza voiced, although she couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her words.

“Oh, Koza… Well, what about you, Huvanni? Surely your parents wouldn’t approve of this plan! They’re expecting you to come home at some point, I’d think they’d take notice of their daughter going missing. I think you should at least send them a message and let them know what’s going on! I’m sure they’d understand, wouldn’t they?” Uvi tried in desperation. Huvanni turned slowly to Koza, who gave her the same blank stare. Should they tell her? It didn’t seem like there would ever be a better time. It was now or never.

“What? Why are you two looking at each other like that? What, are there more secrets you two have been hiding?” Uvi folded her arms. Koza guiltily rubbed her arm.

“Spirits, you have  _ no  _ idea.”

“Uvi, there’s something you should probably know…”


	14. Plotting

“So, hold on, let me make sure I’ve gotten this straight.” Uvi began, holding her hands together tightly as she stared at the two girls with an unreadable expression. “Huvanni is actually an Air Bender from the Western Air Temple.”

“Yes.”

“The story of the Fire Nation ship getting destroyed was just a cover-up for Fire Lord Sozin to attack the four Air Temples so he could kill the Avatar and massacre the rest of the Air Nomads. Which he succeeded in doing, and Huvanni is now- presumably- the last of the Air Benders.”

“Yes.”

“And Koza has been hiding you in the house in order to keep you safely out of the clutches of the Fire Army while your burn wound healed, and the entire story about you being the daughter of an Earth Kingdom noble was entirely fabricated?”

“That’s all correct.” Uvi stared blankly at the wall, scratching her wrists as she processed the information.

“Goodness. You two are quite talented at keeping secrets, hm?” She asked, exhaling slowly. “Please tell me that’s all the information, I’m not sure if I could handle anything else.”

“Don’t worry, that’s everything. Honest.” Huvanni said, grinning rather sheepishly.

“I know it’s a lot to unload. But now you can understand why heading to Ba Sing Se is the best option. For the both of us,” said Koza, taking hold of Huvanni’s hand. “To keep Vanni from marrying Ojin, and to prevent anyone else from discovering our relationship or her identity… It’s the best way to ensure our lives together. ...You’re not going to tell my dad, are you?”

“Oh Spirits, no. I may be old, but I’m not yet that much of a fool. I know exactly what someone of Master Shio’s… let’s say “position” could do with sensitive information such as this. I would never actively put Huvanni into harm’s way.” Uvi said definitively. Koza and Huvanni breathed a heavy sigh of relief at the same time. So Koza had been right all along.

“Thank you, Uvi. You have no idea how much keeping these things secret from… well, everyone has been eating me up inside.” Koza said.

“I have a pretty good guess. If I was in your shoes, I don’t know if I’d be able to sleep at night with such a heavy responsibility in your hands.” Uvi tutted. Koza felt her fingers twitch. “But, I must say, girls. Although I understand where you’re coming from and why you believe running off an eloping is your best option-”

“We’re not eloping.” Koza and Huvanni said at the same time.

“Regardless, I’d sincerely recommend reevaluating your choices here. I mean, you’re both still so young! I know that some folks see sixteen as a proper mature age, but I sure don’t! You’re children, the two of you. How will you survive on your own terms, in Ba Sing Se nonetheless?” Uvi pushed. Koza didn’t have an immediate answer ready. If she was being honest, she didn’t really know how Huvanni and her would make a living together. Finding a job would obviously be the priority, but… what skills did they even have that would be useful in the Earth Kingdom? Koza had been raised under the impression that she would simply marry into money; she didn’t really have skills apart from Fire Bending.

“We’ll… figure something out,” Huvanni decided. “People do it all the time, right? They immigrate from one place to another without a notion of how to make a living, but manage themselves once they get into the swing of things.”

“That’s a very optimistic approach to this, but it’s a very naive one,” Uvi said sadly. “Believe me, I know! Some… dopey woman from the South Pole waltzing around the Fire Nation, it took weeks before I found work!”

“What did you do in those weeks?” Koza asked.

“Tried finding food. A place I could sleep. Luckily, the village I first arrived in was very charitable, so I was able to stay in the barn of a very kind family my first four nights. But when I traveled West towards the bigger cities… Some nights I had to resort to sleeping on the streets because there were no other options for me. I was lucky to get hired by Master and Madame. Some people don’t get as lucky.” Uvi spoke gingerly. 

“I… see…” Huvanni said timidly.

“Now I don’t want you girls thinking I’m trying to scare you or diminish your ideas,” Uvi interjected. “I think it’s a wonderful dream. But I just want you being realistic for yourselves. I would be heartbroken for you to be sleeping in the cold and rain because you can’t find stable work or a place to stay. Surely there are more options we just haven’t considered other than just running away? After all, Koza, you’d be leaving everything you’ve ever known behind. Are you really willing to just permanently change everything and leap into the unknown?”

“For Huvanni? Without question.” Koza replied so instantaneously it almost felt like instinct. Huvanni beamed at her, pulling Koza in close.

“I love you.” She said softly. 

“I love you, too.” They held one another tightly, all of Koza’s worries and fears seemingly melting away in mere seconds. Nothing else mattered to her except this girl. And Koza would be damned if anyone wanted to take this away from her.

“Well, I see that there really isn’t anything I can say to change your minds.” Koza had forgotten for a split second that Uvi was even there. The woman was shaking her head disapprovingly, but was smiling softly. “If you both are truly bent on this plan, then I guess I have no choice but to support you.”

“Why don’t you come with us, Uvi?” Huvanni suggested. “The three of us living in Ba Sing Se. It would be wonderful! We could all be free together!” 

“That’s a great idea! All three of us escaping from Ki Lo!” Koza seconded the notion. Uvi paused momentarily, considering the offer.

“It’s a tempting offer, I must admit. Go off to start fresh with the two girls I care most about,” she said dreamily. “But… my home is here. I’m such a small-town woman, I don’t think I would ever be able to fit in in such a large place. Besides, I’ve dedicated so many years to the Master and Madame. I can’t just up and leave.”

“You’d rather stay trapped under their clutches then go off and start a new life?” Koza asked, appalled. “You wouldn’t have to be the help for a bunch of spoiled rich people! Isn’t there a dream you’ve wanted to achieve? This could be your chance!”

“Yes, there is one.” Uvi breathed.

“Well, what is it?”

“It’s my dream to return home one day. Back to the Southern Water Tribe, and spend my last years with the friends I’ve left behind. Oh, it’ll take so much discipline to get myself on that boat, but I want to spend my retirement at home.” This notion was met by a period of silence. Koza could only stare at her with a hurt expression as the realization set in. “I want to go with you, Koza, I truly do. But-”

“No, it’s okay, Uvi,” Huvanni was the one to speak up. “You shouldn't feel pressure to come with us just because it’s what we want. If you have your own ambitions and wants for the future… Then you should go for it. And hey, the Southern Water Tribe is much closer to Ba Sing Se than Ki Lo! Maybe we could come by for a visit.” She beamed. Uvi looked sadly between the girls.

“Are you sure? I’d love for you both to learn to be independent, but I would also hate to leave you behind…”

“Completely. We want different things, and that’s okay! You’re allowed to be selfish once in a while, Uvi,” Huvanni said. “And even though she’s not saying it, I know Koza feels the same way.” Koza looked up and gave Huvanni a look, who in return simply smiled. 

“Koza?”

“Yes, I think you should go back to the South Pole,” Koza finally admitted with a sigh. “I don’t want to leave you. But you should do what your heart tells you to do. And.. don’t worry about us. A Fire Bender at the top of her classes and an Air Bender who survived a cultural genocide. I have faith that we’ll be okay.” She said confidently.

“If you believe you two can do this… then, well, I suppose I have to have faith, too.” Uvi smiled, standing up from the bed and embracing the girls tightly, like a mother would her children. Koza gingerly reciprocated the hug, burying her nose into the comforts of Uvi’s shoulder. She smelled like cedar wood, she noticed.

“How’s your leg, Huvanni? Is it healed enough for travel?” Koza broke free from the hug and asked, trying to keep herself from crying.

“I think so.” said Huvanni, pulling up her pants leg to show off the burn. The wound had definitely healed, being significantly less blotchy than it had been on their first encounter. Though, the skin was still red and shiny, the burned skin having formed a scar. “It doesn’t really hurt anymore, so I think it’s as good as it’s going to be.”

“It’s such a shame. Having such an ugly scar, a permanent reminder of what the Fire Nation did to you.” Uvi sighed, looking at the scar with pity. Huvanni rolled the fabric back over her leg.

“I don’t think it’s ugly,” She said matter-of-factly. “It’s a symbol showing that I survived. That I can heal from the past.” Koza smiled proudly at this statement, taking a tight hold of Huvanni’s hand.

“That’s a beautiful way of seeing things, Huvanni. You’re a very wise girl.” Uvi observed.

“When you’ve spent sixteen years living among nuns, you tend to pick up on a few things.” Koza said, grinning at Huvanni. The Air Bender squeezed her hand. 

“I can hardly imagine. The life of an Air Bender is one of intense dedication,” Uvi noted. “Well, anyway, when do you two intend on leaving? Kay’un is probably the closest town I can think of that has ships to the Earth Kingdom, but it’s still about a full two-days walk.” 

“If I had my glider, I could probably make it in less than one...” Huvanni noted rather bitterly. 

“Two, huh? If we sneak out after sunset and travel through the night, we should be able to cover ground more safely.” Koza said her thoughts out loud. 

“Tonight? You’re going to just up and leave tonight?” Uvi cried, flabbergasted.

“The faster we can get to the Earth Kingdom, the better. We have no way of knowing how soon Shio Kan is planning the wedding for.” Huvanni chimed in. Uvi was clearly distraught by this news, but tried to remain strong.

“I… I see. Yes, leaving as soon as possible is the wisest decision. I just… I don’t know, I guess I simply hoped that we would have a bit more time together. I’m not ready to see you go, Koza.” Uvi swallowed, rubbing her eyes. 

“It’ll be okay, Uvi. We’ll be okay, I promise,” Koza said definitively, trying to remain strong for her sake. “How about this? Once we arrive in the Earth Kingdom, I’ll send you a letter disguised as an old friend from the South Pole. That way you’ll know we’re okay, and Mother and Father won’t figure out where we went. We can do that up until we reach Ba Sing Se.”

“That’d make me feel much better, thank you,” Uvi chuckled. “Speaking of your parents, what are you planning on telling them? I know you don’t think they care about you, Koza, but they’d simply be heartbroken if you vanished without a trace. Maybe just leave them a letter?” Koza didn’t respond immediately; though she didn’t say it outloud, she had been completely on the assumption that she’d just disappear into the night. Leaving them an explanation of why she decided to leave seemed too kind, somehow.

“Okay, I’ll leave a letter behind.” Koza decided, though she wasn’t very happy about it. Uvi smiled in appreciation, then her eyebrows raised slightly. 

“If you two are going to Kay’un, you’re going to need identification and money, maybe a map, too… Alright, I probably shouldn’t be telling you to do this, but this is your best option of getting on a ship without Huvanni’s identification. When the ticket vendor asks you for your name, tell them that you’re the daughter of the Firelord’s right hand, Shio Kan. A lot of folks in smaller towns don’t like messing with big-shots, so if you just throw your status around you should be left alone. Now I would never recommend doing this again, don’t go thinking you can do whatever you want with just your name. Only use it in this circumstance, got it?”

“Yes, I got it.” Koza responded, smiling at the woman’s stern position. Uvi had no reason to worry- after today, Koza was determined to never associate with her father’s name ever again.

“Good. I have a few copper and silver pieces somewhere downstairs, you can have those for your trip. And I’ll pack some snacks so you don’t have to worry about food…” Uvi listed. “I don’t have a map, but I can try and draw one? I’m not great with directions, though, you might have to buy one downtown-”

“Uvi, you don’t have to go through all that trouble. Really, you don’t have to give us your hard-earned money.” Huvanni urged, the thought of doing such a thing clearly making her uneasy.

“I want to go through the trouble, Huvanni,” Uvi interjected. “Trouble, it’s not even any trouble! I have plenty of money saved up, giving a few silvers isn’t going to drive me into the ground. Really, I  _ want _ you to have it. Think of it as a… parting gift. Or a marriage gift!”

“We’re not getting married.” Koza and Huvanni said at the same time, once again.

“Either way, this is just a mother’s way of sending children off into the world. I want you two to have the biggest head start as possible. Since I can’t go with you, this is my way of helping you both make a fresh start.” Uvi said gently. Koza glanced side-ways at Huvanni, waiting for her answer.

“...Okay, if you insist. But once we start making our own wages, I’m sending you back twice as much as you’re giving!” Huvanni said definitively. Koza agreed completely, although she found it rather amusing how strong-willed the girl felt about the subject. Perhaps some of the Fire Nation had rubbed off on her, after all.

“Sounds like a plan,” Uvi couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, I’ll go get everything ready downstairs. I suggest you girls pack some items, just clothes and possibly some sentimentals. Travel light, it’ll be much easier in the long run. I suppose it won’t matter anymore that you didn’t go to school today… goodness, I hope you have a good excuse for this in your letter, Koza. ...You girls have a very strong love. Don’t ever lose that, do you promise?”

“We promise.” Koza said first, followed right after by Huvanni. “Will you see us off?”

“I… I don’t think I can. I’m afraid if I do, I’ll try to stop you from leaving,” said Uvi guiltily. “I’ll say my goodbyes after dinner. I’m sorry, I just-”

“It’s okay, Uvi. I understand.” Koza smiled.

“Thank you, Koza. You’re a wonderful young lady. I wish you nothing but the best. H-here, I’ll go get everything ready. Look at me, sitting here weeping. Gotta be strong, Uvi!” She encouraged herself, shaking herself off and rather quickly heading downstairs. Koza and Huvanni stood alone, the reality of everything finally settling.

“We’re leaving tonight. And we’re going to start a new life. Together.” Huvanni mouthed as Koza started filling a small duffle bag- one she only ever used when on “family vacations”- with clothing. Packing seemed easy, she only had so many outfits; and it wasn’t like she had anything sentimental to bring along for the ride. Everything she despised about her life was going to be left behind.

“Are you nervous?” Koza asked, folding a pair of identical dress shirts.

“A little, I think. Mostly because we’re kind of running head-first into the unknown,” Huvanni said slowly. “But it’s also exciting! I almost feel like a vigilante. The Air Bender, running away from her betrothal in order to be with the one she truly loves- her fiance’s sister. You know, Uvi was right, that would make a really great book.” Koza laughed and finished packing, but her laughter was quickly cut short when her bedroom door slammed open.

Ojin, his eyes hollow and dark, stood there, as still as a statue. Huvanni and Koza both froze, the three gazes all locked onto one another in paralysis. 

“So it’s true,” he said in a strange voice. “I didn’t want to think it was. I thought it was just a joke.”

“What are you talking about, Ojin? And who said you can just barge into my room without knocking?” Koza demanded, trying to seem as normal as possible. Huvanni, meanwhile, found herself unable to speak at all. Ojin’s wild gaze fixated on his sister, his chest barely moving with his breaths.

“I heard everything. Everything you said to Uvi,” Ojin spoke. “Huvanni’s an Air Bender, you two are actually in love. And you two are running away tonight. I heard it all.”


	15. Recovery

Huvanni and Koza were frozen. Completely and utterly frozen. Ojin stared at the two girls with a bewildered expression, willing for them to say something. Anything. Another minute passed, and Ojin realized he would have to be the one to initiate.

“Have anything to say?”

“Why were you listening to our conversation? What, were you just stationed outside my room, eavesdropping like a creep?” Koza spat, using fury to hide the absolutely chilling fear that was coursing through her veins right now.

“It was an accident,” Ojin muttered. “I was coming up to ask Huvanni something when I heard you talking about the… the Western Air Temple through the door. I was so shocked I couldn’t get away in time, and the secrets just kept coming. You two were in love, you needed to get away from… from me and Father, and now you’re planning on running away to Ba Sing Se tonight under the cover of darkness.” More silence followed this revelation, which was clearly starting to irritate Ojin. “So?”

“So? What do you want me to say, Ojin? You caught us, alright? Huvanni doesn’t love you, nor is there any Earth Kingdom trade relationship to be gained from marrying her. It was all a lie! A big, fat, dirty lie!” Koza shouted. “She’s an Air Bender, our Nation’s biggest enemy! And yes, we’re in love! Wow, double the treason! Isn’t this just perfect for you, now you get to turn us both in and finally get rid of me. Win the favor of Daddy dearest. Hell, win the favor of Sozin! So go ahead, go do what you’ve wanted to do ever since I was born.” Koza stared daggers at her brother before her, their gazes locked on one another in a silent battle.

“...I’m not going to turn you in.” Even Ojin seemed surprised by his words. 

“You’re… you’re not?” Huvanni asked, looking at him suspiciously.

“This scenario literally could  _ not  _ be anymore perfect for you. Turn in the treacherous Air Bender and your good-for-nothing sister, and become the hero of the Fire Nation. You gain absolutely nothing from letting us go.” Koza reminded him spitefully.

“You’re right. But what could I truly gain from doing it anyway? Betraying my own flesh and blood, and… and the girl I love,” Ojin said, going rather quiet for a split second. “I want to believe that it isn’t true. That Huvanni isn’t the result of National betrayal and war, that we can just get married and be one big nuclear family. But it can never be like that, can it?” The girls both stared at him, awe-struck. “I want my perfect life. I want to go to the Capital and do great things for our great Nation. But what kind of man would I be if turning my back on my sister is the only way to get there?”

“Ojin… are you actually just going to let us go free? You’re not going to try and stop us?” Koza worded breathlessly. 

“No, I won’t. Though, I think what you’re doing is sincerely wrong. I don’t agree with your plans nor do I agree with your relationship. However, I won’t get involved one way or the other. I refuse to help you leave, but… I won’t tell Mother and Father about any of this. When we all sit down for dinner tonight, this encounter never happened.”

“Deal.” Koza said, feeling a split spark of pride for her older brother. “Wow. To think it took you sixteen years to finally do something nice for me. It was definitely worth the wait.” The three stood in rather awkward silence for a moment before Ojin cleared his throat.

“Yes, well… I have some important tasks that need to be attended to. Try to keep yourselves alive.” He said gingerly, taking one last longing look at the girls before turning on his heels and swiftly leaving the room.

“‘Keep yourselves alive.’ What a touching goodbye.” Huvanni laughed a bit.

“You know what, coming from Ojin’s that’s like an ‘I love you.’” Koza responded, her eyes remaining fixated in the spot where her brother had just been standing. She had to admit, never in a hundred years would she have guessed that Ojin would ever put down his own chances of success for the sake of Koza’s happiness. But, she supposed, sometimes people surprise you.

“Koza?” Huvanni’s voice broke through her thoughts, and she realized she had been talking.

“Hm? What?”

“I said are you done packing? I want to get that map from Uvi so we can plot a course. Spirits, if we had a Sky Bison we could just fly directly to Ba Sing Se in less than a week…” Huvanni muttered under her breath, folding her arms.

“Almost, just one last pair of clothes.” Koza replied, deciding to ignore the last comment. 

“You sure are packing a lot of those.” Huvanni noted, going closer to her and wrapping her hands around Koza’s shoulders.

“Well yeah, I have to pack enough for the both of us. It’s not like you have any of your own.” This sentence suddenly sparked a revelation in Koza, and she froze with an outfit still grasped in her fingers.

“Is something the matter?”

“I just remembered the… Stay here, I have to go do something.” Koza said quickly, practically throwing the neatly-folded outfit onto her bed and darting out of her room.

“Koza? Hey, where are you going! Wait up!” Huvanni called after her, the frantic footsteps behind Koza meaning that she was following. Koza paid no mind to her, instead launching herself from the staircase and out the back door. Huvanni raced after her, calling her name with utter bewilderment.   
Koza didn’t dare turn around or stop, not even as she left the safety of her family’s garden and into the dense forest. It was definitely less ominous now in broad daylight, and yet something about the hanging trees shading the ground was still off putting. Neither girls had transversed these grounds ever since Huvanni first arrived in Ki Lo, Koza realized. Then again, it wasn’t like she regularly went out to stand in the woods.

It was here that Koza finally slowed her pace, coming to a rather sharp stop while she looked about at the trees. From the sounds of skidding dirt behind her, Huvanni must’ve come to a stop as well.

“Koza? What in the Spirits was that about?” She asked, half-laughing, half out of breath. Koza kept her attention forwards, analyzing the myriad of trees before them. She could see a large black burn scar on the tree ahead of her. Those memories were such a short time ago, and yet it seemed like centuries had passed since that night. There was no way of knowing that a simple request to gather fruits from a bush would’ve changed her life so drastically.

“Hello? Earth to Koza, are you there?” Huvanni called again. Koza finally spun around.

“Where did you put it?” She asked.

“Put what?”

“Your Air Bender robes. When you first moved in you told me you had put them in a hollowed tree. Could you show me where?” Huvanni looked rather taken aback by the question, but decidedly didn’t question Koza’s request. Huvanni stepped ahead and led them further in, pushing past low-hanging branches and cautiously stepping over snaking brambles. Koza followed her, the only sounds to break through the crippling silence coming from the occasional calls of faraway birds. Huvanni, Koza noticed, would occasionally stop and survey the surroundings before carrying on.  _ She seemed  _ to know where she was going, if at least somewhat.

“You remember where they are, right?” Koza decided to ask.

“I believe so. The tree had all these cut marks in the trunk, I remember that much,” Huvanni replied. “I slept under it on my first night. I’m just trying to retrace my steps. It’s not super easy, since it was dark the last time.”

“Why don’t you just fly into the air? Get a bird’s eye view?” Koza suggested helpfully. This suggestion was met by a cackle of laughter.

“Fly? Koza, Air Benders can’t fly without our gliders.”

“Why not?” There was a beat of silence before Huvanni could answer this question.

“Because… Okay I don’t really know, that’s just not how it works. I think the very first Air Benders had some sort of trick where they could manipulate like… the air under their feet to hover or something like that, but that’s a technique lost to time. Gliders work because they already have the ability to move air currents to their will, the Bender just manipulates that further to lift themselves. We as humans don’t have wings or anything that could get us into the air free-form, nor do we have the inherent ability to do so like the Sky Bison.” said Huvanni. Koza nodded deeply like she understood completely, even though she secretly had no clue what any of that meant. “Oh look, there’s the tree!”

The conversation about flight was brought to a halt as Huvanni somehow noticed the right tree among the thousands of others. It looked as ordinary as anything, though Huvanni had been right in that the trunk was positively covered in deep cuts, most likely from some kind of metallic weapon. Koza wondered who had made them.

“Here. They’re in here.” Huvanni said, reaching her arm into a hollowed hole in the tree’s center, pulling out some very familiar orange and yellow robes. Huvanni stared longingly at them, running her fingers across the fabric. Even bunched together like this, Koza could see that the robes were in just as bad of a condition as they were the night Huvanni first arrived. Singed, blackened, and not to mention covered in dirt now.   
Koza remained quiet, allowing Huvanni to take in whatever memories she needed to as she clutched the robes. The Air Bender held tightly onto them for only a few moments until something seemingly came over her and she practically shoved them into Koza’s arms.

“Here. Do it quick, just get it over with.” Huvanni said breathlessly. Koza fumbled with the robes and furrowed her eyebrows.

“Do what?”

“Burn them. Turn them into ash.” Huvanni’s voice was shaking somewhat. “So nobody will ever know I was here. So we can both move on from the past. Isn’t… isn’t that why you wanted to find them?”

“What? Of course not!” Koza cried. “I don’t want to destroy them, I want to bring them with us!” 

“...Huh?”

“Vanni, I wanted to find your robes because I want to bring them with us to Ba Sing Se. I know how to sew a little bit, and maybe someone in the Earth Kingdom can teach me how to get rid of burn marks. So hopefully one day I can fix these for you.” She said earnestly. Huvanni’s eyes softened.

“You.. You’d do that for me?”

“Duh,” Koza replied, failing to hide a crooked smile. “This is one of the last things you have to remind you of your people. I’d never want to leave a part of you behind.” She didn’t even have any time to react before Huvanni had her wrapped in a tight, trembling hug.

“Thank you.” She whispered. Koza gently stroked her hair, soothing the girl’s shaking arms.

By the time the girls had returned to the house and fully finished packing their bags, it was already late in the evening. Returning to Koza’s room, they discovered an ancient-looking map, a small leather bag filled with silver pieces, and a parasol filled with fire flakes and dried seaweed.

“Guess she meant it when she said she couldn’t see us off.” Koza mumbled. Though she completely understood why Uvi was emotionally unable to do so, it still hurt.

“Well… We’ll just send her a great letter when we arrive in the Earth Kingdom, won’t we?” Huvanni said in an attempt to cheer her up.

“Right, a letter… Oh shoot, the letter! I almost forgot!” Koza beelined to her vanity, scrambling for something. She pulled out a sheet of parchment and a short-tipped quill and began to write. Huvanni observed from over her shoulder; though Koza was writing rather quickly, her penmanship was astoundingly neat.   
Once Koza had finished writing whatever it was she wanted to say, she folded the parchment into a letter and wrote the words “Mother and Father” on the backside.

“That’s for your parents?” asked Huvanni. Koza nodded and placed the letter in her pocket. “What’s it say?”

“You were breathing down my neck the whole time I was writing and you didn’t even read it?” Koza teased.

“I don’t know how to read Eastern Fire Dialect. You’re lucky I even speak it.” Huvanni teased right back.

“I basically just said you and I are in love, I’m cutting off all ties with the family, and I’m running away to finally be free and accepted,” Koza answered. “Don’t worry, I didn’t mention where we were going or anything about you being an Air Bender.”

“You don’t think Shio would try to find us, would he? He has a lot of power, I don’t doubt he could at least narrow down where we went.”

“Not a chance. I openly admitted that I’m in love with another girl in the letter, there’s no way Father would ever go after me. Because then that would be admitting that his only daughter is “unclean and sinful,” and there’s no way in the Spirit’s High that he would disgrace our family name like that.” Koza said, smiling rather victoriously. Huvanni patted her on the shoulder.

“Then I guess it’s all ready.”

“I guess it is.” They both gazed around the room, taking it in for the last time. As she did so, familiar smells began wafting from downstairs into Koza’s nose. Pepper stew, her favorite…

“Let’s eat, I’m starving.” Huvanni said, clearly taking note of the delicious scents as well. Koza agreed and the two girls headed downstairs. There was a very melancholy feeling as Koza did so; this was the place she had known for her entire life, and she would never see it again.

Fulay and Ojin were already seated at the table when they came down. Ojin was tapping his fingers on the table, the speed increasing as soon as he saw the girls take their seats. The three tried their best to avoid eye contact.

“There you two are. You were both locked up in your rooms the whole day,” Fulay noted, oblivious to the tension between the children. “Your Father isn’t thrilled that you skipped today, Koza. Luckily for you, though, something came up and he had to step out for the night. He’ll probably talk about it with you tomorrow.” This was the first time Fulay had even spoken to Koza since the argument a couple of nights ago, and Koza was rather surprised to hear how neutral her voice sounded. It wasn’t over the top gushing, nor was it a condescending drone. Fulay was just… talking to her like a normal person. It was shaking, to say the least.

“I see. Thank you, Mother.” Koza replied. That was the last thing to be said that night at the table. Uvi placed the food down hurriedly, not daring to look anywhere near Koza and Huvanni. The silence as they ate was expected, yet somehow it was reassuring to Koza. Like she was making the right choice. That there was so much more to life than  _ this.  _

“Thank you for the food. I’m going to head to my room now.” Ojin, surprisingly, was the first one to finish. Before anyone even had the chance to react he was gone. Koza guessed he could barely take the pressure of holding such a big secret anymore.

“Yes, Uvi, you truly outdid yourself tonight!” Fulay called into the kitchen. There was no response. “Hm. Well, I think I’m going to turn in as well. I have some errands to take care of tomorrow, and I want to be well-rested. Goodnight, girls.” She said and followed her son upstairs. 

“You don’t think she suspects anything, do you?” Huvanni asked as soon as she was out of sight.

“Doubt it. Mother isn’t exactly… the most observational person. She seems way more relaxed, though. I wonder what that’s about…” Koza said, though she didn’t dwell on it for too much longer. 

She waited on the staircase until Uvi had cleared the table and placed the letter on it. She wanted to make sure her Father was the first one to see it. The two girls lingered in the common area until the sun had fully set, too full of nerves to even talk to one another.    
Once it had gotten dark outside, Koza and Huvanni crept silently back into her room to grab the bags and the map. 

“This is it.” Huvanni said.

“Yep. It is.”

“You ready?”

“No. Are you?”

“Absolutely not.” The girls shared a nervous smile.

“Let’s get out of here, then.”

Koza had decided to go through the backdoor, since the front door had a tendency to creak. They crept through the garden, moving amongst the shadows as they made their way to the front of the house. According to the map, following the Main Roads Southwards would bring them to the port town. It was a leap into the unknown from here.

Koza took one last look at her home; her city. The place she became who she was today. The place full of memories, both good and bad. She would never step foot in this place ever again. She grabbed a tight hold of Huvanni’s hand, and began to walk.

“KOZA!” A voice echoed through the night. A voice she knew all too well. A voice that was about to ruin everything they had worked for. Fulay.

Even through the darkness, she could see the woman- wearing a silk night robe- racing towards them. She looked wild and frantic, a piece of paper clutched in her hands. Koza’s letter.

“Mother, don’t come any closer!” Koza called. Fulay stopped in her tracks. “I know what you’re about to say, and I don’t want to hear any of it. This is the choice that we’re making together. Go back to bed and leave us alone.” Fulay looked a tad hurt by the comment, but remained unwavered.

“Koza, you need to listen to me right now. We can forget this letter, forget that this ever happened. Your Father doesn’t need to know about this. Just come back inside.”

“No.” Koza spat.

“No?” Fulay demanded.

“No! Huvanni and I are leaving. You can tell me off all you want, I don’t give a damn!” Koza barked. “I want to live the rest of my life happy and loved. This girl is one of the only people that has  _ ever _ shown that to me. You wanna know the only other person? Uvi. The woman who is more of a mother to me than you’ve ever been!” 

“You’re right.” Fulay said.

“I’m- wait, what?”

“You’re right. I haven’t been a mother to you. Because I’m not.” Fulay’s entire face fell, the facade of a wealthy and upper class woman melting away before their very eyes. In her place was someone who carried the weight of centuries on her shoulders.

“I don’t… what are you saying?” 

“Shio has… he forced me to never tell you. To never speak of what he did. He thought we could all just sweep it under the rug, pretend like none of it ever happened. But you deserve to know the truth.”

“Truth? What truth? Is this the same thing you were talking about the other night?” Koza’s legs felt like jelly. Fulay nodded slowly, her eyes heavy.

“Koza… I’m not your mother.”


	16. The Truth

Koza didn’t move. She didn’t speak, and she didn’t breathe. All she could do was stare. Fulay waited patiently, clearly having expected this kind of response. Huvanni didn’t say anything, either- clearly feeling like this wasn’t a situation she should place herself into.

“Not… not my mother? Is this some kind of sick joke?” Koza had finally found her voice, but she found her previous anger began to flicker out.

“I wish it was.” Fulay responded shortly. Koza could barely find her words as her hands shook.

“What are you talking about? If you’re not my mother then… then who is? Who are  _ you? _ Father, Ojin-?” She stammered, her anger completely dissipating. 

“Shio Kan is your father, that much is true,” Fulay took a deep inhale. “But… I-I’ll start at the beginning, I suppose. It’ll all make much more sense with context.

“See, Shio Kan and I married when I had just turned sixteen. I was the daughter of a couple of wealthy aristocrats, he was working for the Firelord. When he came to my house and asked my father for my hand, it seemed all too clear that it was a good match. My family would get political power, his family would get the wealth they needed. Everyone won. And I… Well, I fell as soon as I saw him. This dark, handsome, strong man who had enough ambition to shoot for the moon. I couldn’t believe he would choose me over every other girl. I knew deep down that his primary goal was strictly forming bonds with a powerful family, but I figured he would learn to love me over time. I was young, hopeful, and so stupid.

“He treated me well enough, I suppose. On the occasion when he was home, anyway. Never harsh or cruel, but not exactly loving, either. He treated me exactly as how he saw me: A way to increase his status. Not as a wife or a partner, but as a tool. It took three years for me to finally realize that’s all I would ever be to him. But when I found out I was pregnant with Ojin, I thought all of our problems would finally go away. That once our son was born, something inside him would suddenly click and he’d realize that he truly did love me. That this child would be the thing to bring us together. ...I knew the kind of man he was, and yet I was still so naive. 

“He quickly became distant and cold. He would make these- these awful faces every time I entered a room, like he was disgusted at just the sight of me. Comments about how tired I looked, how my body was repulsive to look at. I spent nine months being treated like the dirt below his shoe. But what could I do about it? I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him. Despite all the things he said to me, I still loved him. And I would stand by him like a good wife would. I would stand by him even when he lost his temper and burned a hole in our curtains. I would stand by him when he wouldn’t come home for a month straight. And I would stand by him even when he came home with wrinkled clothes and messy hair.

“I became aware of his affairs when Ojin was about a month old. He was a good father to Ojin, he truly was. You would’ve been shocked if you saw him, I’m sure! He loved his son more than anything in this world. His attitude towards me changed after I gave birth… a bit, but not by much. He still had his outbursts and his bad days. I always made sure that Ojin wasn’t around when he did, that boy admires his Father like nothing else. But… everyday he came home late, I knew. I knew that every crease on his suit, with every scratch on his back, he was giving himself to another. Showing a stranger the affection that I couldn’t give him. I knew, and he knew that I knew. But we never talked about it. It became just as normal as anything else in our lives: The sky is blue, I have to pick up groceries, my husband’s sleeping with another woman. And I had somehow convinced myself that this was completely normal! That he was simply stressed at work and didn’t want to bother me, so he was just having a small fling. That it didn’t mean anything to him. I just kept defending him. 

“Well… I suppose things had escalated further than even he had imagined. That bastard decided to tell me the day after my birthday. Ojin was almost two at this point, and Shio took me on a walk. He had never done that before, I thought he was finally trying to be an affectionate husband. I should’ve known better. He-he told me on the walk.  _ There’s this woman named Kiora _ , he said.  _ I’ve been seeing her for some time now.  _ Kiora, I thought, so the wench has a name!  _ I sincerely apologize for being unfaithful to you, my love. She means nothing to me, I assure you. You are my wife, and the only woman I’ve ever loved. But…  _ But what, Shio?  _ But she has recently informed me that she is expecting my child. _

“That… Spirits, that was my breaking point. I let loose everything I had on him, screaming and calling him every name under the sun until I was hoarse. How could he do this to me? How could he betray our son like this? Dishonor his family name, having a child out of wedlock! Blasphemous… He looked so.. so broken at my words. I’ve never seen that man look as utterly shattered as he did that day.  _ It was a mistake,  _ he told me,  _ please forgive me, my love. I promise you she means nothing. It was all a mistake. _ I ignored him for three entire months. Three months of the cold shoulder, of not letting him anywhere near Ojin. The poor boy was so confused at why he couldn’t see Dad. Shio was despaired during that time, tried everything he could to prove his remorse. And you know what I did after three months? I forgave him. I took him back and forgave his mistakes. Because what else could I have done? Even after knowing of his deception, I still loved him.

“Once we had made up, we had to eventually discuss what was to be done with the child. Kiora, he had told me, worked as a server in a cafe in Hiramina- the next town over. She came from a very poor family and would be unable to properly care for their child. If there is one nice thing I can say about Shio Kan, it is that he cares immensely for his children. I could tell that the idea of him allowing a child of his to live in poverty was eating him up inside. So… I suggested that we let the child live with us. Let them stay in our house and allow Kiora to visit as much as she wanted as long as Ojin and I never saw her. But I made it absolutely clear, I said that I absolutely would never act as a mother towards them. I only had one child, and I was to not accept them as my own. Shio accepted my terms.

“I only saw Kiora once. I had come to the Hiramina medical center with Shio when she went into labor. He was supporting her by bedside, and I happened to see her in passing. She was beautiful, I’ll admit; I could understand why Shio had taken a liking to her. But I had never seen a person look so… so afraid before. Such raw, complete terror. I hadn’t even felt half of the fear she was expressing during my own delivery. It was frightening to see.    
It took fifteen hours until Shio’s child was born. A daughter, the doctors said. A healthy little girl. I didn’t look at her, I couldn’t bring myself to. Though, it seemed that Kiora’s fear was well-warranted indeed. She died meer minutes after giving birth- the doctors said the strain of it was just too much for her to bear. I remember feeling a horrific sense of victory when I heard that news.  _ That’s your repentance for tearing my family apart _ . I’m still ashamed of myself for feeling that way. But now we all had a problem to deal with. Shio’s daughter was without a mother, his little play-thing was gone from this world and his mistake still remained. Oh, he begged me. Pleaded on hands and knees,  _ Fulay my love, we must raise her as our own. Please, she never has to know about Kiora or my misdeeds. Ojin would love a younger sister, I’m sure. Surely you couldn’t bring yourself to abandon this child.  _ He knew exactly what to say to get to me, that was for sure. He was right, as much as I despised the thought of living with a constant reminder of my husband’s infidelity, I couldn’t bring myself to abandoning the girl. So, we brought her home.

“I think Shio expected me to grow attached, like some secret maternal instincts would kick in and I would accept the girl as my own. Well, that certainly didn’t happen. I made sure that as much as Shio Kan manipulated and bested me, I would not let him win this battle. I had one child, and one alone. I know, deep down I knew that it wasn’t the child’s fault, she had no say in being born. She didn’t deserve to be treated so coldly by the woman she thought was her mother, and yet I couldn’t bring myself to do anything else. Looking at her face, those same eyes I saw from my son… It was torture. Everyday I was reminded of the kind of man that my husband was.

“Things were never the same from the moment Shio brought his daughter home. I couldn’t look at him in the eye for months after that. But then I began to fight back against him. He’d shout, I’d shout. He’d insult me, I’d insult him right back. I think it was that time that Shio finally realized the extent of what he had done. To me, to his family. How much he shattered the life that we had. Things were so horrible during that time, I-I cried nearly every morning. ...And as shameful as it is… If I didn’t have Ojin to care for, I think I would’ve ended my life then and there.” She took a deep, shaky breath before continuing. “Shio finally began to catch on to just how bad things were, I’m sure. Wanted to make things right for the first time. Because completely out of the blue, he just… stopped caring for her. He went from dotting on his daughter to ignoring her completely. Treating her like she wasn’t even there no matter how much she cried and sought him. Looking back, I think it’s disgusting how quickly he was able to eliminate his affection for his own daughter just to make his wife happy. But at the time… I was relieved. I felt that Shio was _ finally _ choosing me. That at last he saw this child as much of an intruder as I did.

“We had to hire Uvi after that, seeing as neither one of us wanted to care for her. I know, I know how wrong it was to do that. To-to treat an innocent life so terribly for something out of her control. But I couldn’t bring myself to be the one to care for her, I just couldn’t do it. She thought that Shio and I had two children, and we never corrected her. How could we? If word got out about Shio’s affair, about Kiora and their daughter… We’d be harassed out of our home. So, I pretended that she was my daughter. As much as it hurt me, I did it for my family. I know Uvi judged me hard for never showing her the same affection I gave to Ojin, but what could I say? To anyone who wasn’t me or my husband, she was mine. And once again, Shio had won.” Fulay’s voice faded at the final statement. 

Koza wasn’t even sure that she had breathed during the entire story. She realized that she had been clenching her fists so tightly that her palms were dotted with blood from where her fingernails had dug into the skin. Fulay had apparently walked closer sometime during the story, as she was now barely meters apart from the two girls. Her entire body was quivering, and her cheeks were wet with tears.

“Koza… I’m sorry. I am so, so sorry for everything that you had to go through. For sixteen years I treated you like the mistakes of your father were your fault. I had no right to do that. I was scared and angry, and I took it all out on the one person who I knew wouldn’t fight back. You deserved to be loved.” Fulay’s voice was shaking in a way Koza had never heard before. From the woman who Koza only ever knew as a liar, this amount of sincerity from the woman was making her throat close up.

A long, long period of silence followed as both Fulay and Huvanni gazed to Koza, waiting for her to process everything. Indeed, it took her several minutes to get her thoughts in order. The life that she had known, the person that she knew herself to be… it was all based on a lie. Because of the deception of Shio Kan.

“So my real mother is dead?” Koza decided this to be her first question. Fulay nodded her head. Koza paused again, trying to keep her breaths steady. “And… we’re not related. You and I. And Ojin is only my… my half-brother?”

“Yes.” Fulay merely whispered. 

“...Who knows about this?” Koza’s voice did not sound like her own.

“Only Shio and I. Er, I guess you two do, too,” Fulay said, biting her lip. “But nobody else. Shio wanted to ensure that…”

“So, Ojin doesn’t even know about this?” Fulay shook her head. “Then why… I guess I understand now why you and Father treated me the way that you did. But why did Ojin…?”

“I’m not entirely sure on that one, I assure you I had nothing to do with that. Perhaps he simply picked it up from us… Children tend to imitate behaviors from their parents.” Fulay said, though the notion seemed to unnerve her.

“I… see. It all makes sense now.” Koza breathed.

“Yes… I’ve wanted to tell you the truth for some time now, but I… couldn’t bring myself to. Shio would never allow me to.” Fulay said. She paused momentarily. “But… maybe now we can try again? Koza, I know you think this is what you want with your life. To run off and leave everything behind. But I can’t let you two do this. You’re both still just children! I lost any ounce of youth and innocence when I married Shio. I don’t want to see you two throw everything away because… because of my mistakes.”

“You’re wrong.” Koza was a bit surprised at how firm her voice sounded, but continued. “We’re not doing this just because of you. We’re doing this because this is the life we want to live. There’s nothing for me in Ki Lo. No future, no family. My future is with Huvanni, and the only way I can make that a reality is if I take my life into my own hands. I need to do what’s right for me. And if that means leaving everything I’ve known behind and making a leap of faith… Then so be it.” Koza felt Huvanni squeeze her hand. Fulay looked completely crushed.

“...If this is truly what you want to do, then I won’t try to stop you,” she finally spoke. “I don’t think I even have the authority to. I can’t even imagine the pain I put you through. To think that the person you believed to be your mother… despised your presence. It’s despicable.”

“I don’t blame you,” Koza said rather quietly. “Not fully, anyway. You were put in a position, in a life that no person should ever have to be in. You were deceived and manipulated by him. We all were.”

“Does that mean you accept my apology?” Fulay looked hopeful. Koza hesitated.

“No. Not right now. It’s just… it’s just too much to get through. I don’t blame you for not treating me as your own, however I do blame you for allowing me to grow up in those conditions. You said it yourself, I had no say in being born. I shouldn’t have been blamed for my Father’s crimes.” She said evenly. Fulay’s face fell.

“Yes… I understand…”

“Though… Maybe someday, in a distant future, I can forgive you.” Koza said. Fulay looked up again, tears spilling out of her eyes.

“Thank you, Koza… Good luck, you two. May the Spirits shine fortune on you as long as you live.” She said shakily, her fingers reaching out towards the girls. It seemed that she wanted to reach out and hug Koza, but couldn’t bring herself to.

“Goodbye, Fulay…” Huvanni spoke for the first time, looking towards Koza as she did so. “I’m sorry for what you’ve been through.” Koza found herself taking her hand back from Huvanni, and turned around to face their path ahead of her. Facing the future, and turning her back to the past.

“Word of advice: You don’t have to put yourself through this for honor’s sake,” Koza said coolly without looking back. “Promise me something. Make sure Father sees that letter, and tell Ojin the truth about everything. Then, you both get out of here and leave that sorry man to rot where he stands.”


End file.
